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Containment measures under development: the action plan includes selective spring harvesting of females and a permanent observatory to monitor lagoon health.

Strengthening and updating Ecological Transition Contracts, improving their on-the-ground implementation and making them easier to replicate in other pilot sites: this is the goal of RICREA, a project currently working in the Gulf of Oristano to update the Oristano coastal wetlands contract, with a specific focus on sustainable development and adaptation to environmental change.

Alongside the strategic revision of the Contract’s Action Programme, targeted operational measures have also been launched. These include efforts to tackle invasive alien species and the creation of a wetlands observatory - both key tools to address, in a structured way, the challenges affecting lagoon ecosystems-

The first operational meeting - held last Tuesday at Legacoop in Oristano - marked the beginning of a process that will include at least three further sessions over time. The discussion centred on two priority threats: the blue crab and the comb jelly, both of which are putting pressure on local biodiversity and the fishing economy.

The blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), native to the western Atlantic, entered Sardinia’s lagoons around ten years ago and is now firmly established in the Oristano area. Its spread has been rapid, supported by the environmental conditions typical of coastal lagoons. However, impacts vary significantly from one lagoon to another. In some areas, fishermen report serious damage to fishing gear and increased pressure on populations of clams, mullet and eels; elsewhere, the effects appear more limited or manageable. This variability calls for tailored strategies designed around the specific characteristics of each ecosystem.

Among the most widely supported actions is the selective harvesting of female blue crabs in the pilot site of S’Ena Arrubia, a measure designed to intervene in the species’ reproductive capacity. The intervention could be tested as early as next spring, with the construction of special traps, within a framework of targeted and controlled management.

The process is the result of coordinated dialogue between MEDSEA, Legacoop Sardegna, Consorzio Mediterraneo, the research body involved, and the presidents and local fishermen of the Oristano lagoon fishing cooperatives. Participants included Piera Pala and Francesca Etzi for MEDSEA, Mauro Steri and Gabriele Chessa for Legacoop Sardegna and DataCoop, along with strong and meaningful participation from many local operators - whose contribution proved crucial to shaping a shared path forward.

“Managing invasive species requires shared responsibility and decisions grounded in solid data. In this process, Legacoop Sardegna and fishermen play a central role as active partners in protecting the lagoons and building practical solutions. We hope these measures will generate consistent, validated data that can guide increasingly effective decisions in the future,” said Piera Pala, President of the MEDSEA Foundation.

“The new challenges fishing businesses are facing - such as climate change and the spread of non-native species - can only be addressed through stronger cooperation between fishermen and their representatives, scientific research, and organisations working to protect marine and coastal environments. Only a truly bottom-up approach, involving all stakeholders - as we did on this occasion with the MEDSEA Foundation - can lead to shared, long-term solutions,” said Mauro Steri, Head of Fisheries and Aquaculture at Legacoop Sardegna.

“Collaboration between Legacoop, Consorzio Mediterraneo and MEDSEA may be the right path to finding shared solutions to the issues affecting the Oristano lagoons. By combining our experience with scientific research, we can develop management methods that limit the spread of these species,” said Simone Dessì, President of the Corru S’Ittiri Cooperative in Terralba (Oristano).

“Being directly involved in research and containment actions against the blue crab is essential if we want solutions that are actually workable. That is why we are ready to build partnerships with scientific research institutions to help resolve these challenges,” said Daniele Colombu, President of the Torrevecchia Cooperative in Arborea (Oristano).

“Promoting marketing strategies to support the sale of blue crab, and expanding research on how to curb the spread of the comb jelly, are the directions we need to pursue,” said Alessandro Porcu, member of the S’Andrea Fishermen’s Cooperative in Arborea (Oristano).