Blue Crab: A highly sought after (and well paid) dud in Korea
It seems to be true that what is someone's trash is someone else's treasure. The disaster of the invasion of the Blue Crab in the Venetian lagoons and the Po' delta risks seriously damaging fishing in the area, but, at the same time, there are already those who are looking at this disastrous phenomenon as a treasure. As the Korean Herald reports, the Italian shellfish infestation is fueling culinary excitement in Korea, with a local seafood importer turning to Italy for possible imports.
In recent years, Italy's northern Adriatic coast has been dealing with an invasive crab species called the Atlantic blue crab, which has devastated the country's ecosystem and caused tens, if not hundreds, of millions of euros in damage.
First introduced through the bilges of foreign ships several years ago, the Atlantic blue crab has found a hospitable environment in Mediterranean waters warmed by climate change.
The unwelcome outsider soon devoured 90% of Italy's clams, causing a loss of about 100 million euros (142 billion won), according to Fedagripesca-Confcooperative, an association of Italian fishermen.
Italy's problem has ignited a wave of enthusiasm in South Korea, where marinated raw crab – called gejang in Korean – is a delicacy.
Passionate Korean fishmongers, sensing a culinary goldmine, immediately sprung into action. According to Korean news reports, a seafood importer from Incheon surnamed Lee has already contacted the Italian Chamber of Commerce to inquire about importing the blue crab.
Advanced negotiations are underway and Lee expects the crabs to reach Korea within the year.
At present, according to data from the Korea Fishery Trade Association, 97% of crabs imported into Korea come from China, while the remaining 3% come from Pakistan and Tunisia.
While it is unclear how much Italian blue crabs would cost, experts speculate that the price would be similar to Pakistani and Tunisian crabs – around $6.50 per kilogram, potentially making them a cost-effective substitute for premium domestic blue crabs.
The crucial question remains: Will the taste of Italian blue crab match that of the beloved local crabs?
While no one knows for sure, the seafood importer said in comments on local news outlets that Italian blue crabs are actually very similar to native blue crabs, even more so than their Pakistani and Tunisian cousins.
There is one caveat: The Atlantic blue crab's harder shell makes it harder to eat, as many people eat gejang in the shell.
Despite this limitation, traders hope that this Italian pest will find a fan base in Korea.
What to do to turn a disaster into an opportunity
The Veneto region, with a ridiculous investment, could transform a disaster into a remarkable opportunity. First of all by avoiding placing stupid and, frankly, useless limits on the fishing of a weed species, which would be equivalent to placing a limit on the elimination of a poisonous weed growing in the garden. Secondly by quickly organizing a logistics chain for this type of product.
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The article Blue Crab: A Highly Wanted (and Highly Paid) Disaster in Korea comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/grachio-blu-un-disastro-altamente-ricercato-e-ben-pagato-in-corea/ on Sun, 17 Sep 2023 19:40:58 +0000.