Blue crabs and grey gold: How markets make aliens native in Northern Italy

Abstract

This article examines multispecies encounters with ‘alien’ and ‘invasive’ species through ethnographic research on human-Manila clam-blue crab relationships within the feral multispecies arrangement of the Goro Lagoon in Northern Italy's Po River Delta. Based on fieldwork conducted in 2024, the analysis reveals how the Manila clam became successfully autochthonized and integrated into local economic life, transforming the region from a state of extreme poverty one of prosperity through aquaculture. The sudden expansion of blue crab populations in the region in 2023, however, disrupted this arrangement, as the species proved resistant to domestication and commodification, provoking intense feelings of hatred and resentment among local fishers. The study demonstrates that categories such as ‘alien’ and ‘autochthonous’ – along with associated notions and practices of domestication? are flexible constructs, deeply intertwined with market logics, political ideologies and ideas of technical controllability. This article contributes to multispecies studies by exploring how encounters with other-than-human actors shape both the practices and affective dimensions of feral arrangements under neo-liberal capitalism.