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Paper short abstract

The sudden demographic increase of blue crabs forced inhabitants to recognize the new climatic regime in the Venetian Lagoon. The study discusses how Venetians are making sense of their changing territory and experimenting with ways of coexisting with alien species.

Paper long abstract

The Lagoon of Venice is a historic socio-ecological system shaped by centuries of human and non-human interactions. Today, the ecological and climate crisis threatens the survival of traditional practices, such as pesca delle moeche (green crab fishing), while overtourism continues to push residents outside of the Lagoon. In Spring 2023, the alien species blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) became another agent of disruption in the Lagoon, due to its sudden demographic increase, interfering with aquaculture and influencing the sociocultural landscape of the territory.

This study draws from several short ethnographic vignettes of different stakeholders, including politicians, fishermen, shellfish farmers, activists, conservation volunteers, and researchers. We examined how different groups in the Venetian Lagoon make sense of the rapidly changing environment following the blue crab’s arrival. The concept of “block of meaning" in cultural devices is employed to discuss the sense of bewilderment and the emergence of new temporal cycles when familiar landscapes become unrecognizable and meaningless. In addition, we look at how the arrival of the blue crab has increased the polarization between the fishing community, activists, politicians and researchers, revealing the fragility of the Lagoon’s contemporary environmental politics. Lastly, using the concept of embracing volatility to foster resilience, we look at two case studies, Lazzaretti Veneziani and the oasis of Ca’ Roman, in which the local community has come together to care for traditional practices, re-creating a sense of belonging and reconnecting humans with both native and alien species.