Can’t beat them? Eat them!

Blue crabs invade Italy. More and more baby crabs are born. The animals devour eels, clams, and mussels. They ruin fishing nets. And they’re here to stay.

The people of Italy make do . . . by cooking up the crabs.

People in the United States often eat crabs during summer. But crab dishes aren’t as common in Italy. Restaurant owners introduce crabs in a yummy way. They make rosemary crab salad, crab with onion and vinegar, and pasta with garlic-tossed crab.

Italy is the largest producer of clams in Europe. In the whole world, only China and South Korea produce more. Italians love to eat spaghetti and clams. But this year, crabs threaten to devour the clam harvest.

This year, blue clams have harmed about half the shellfish Italians normally catch. They’ve also destroyed eels, another star in traditional Italian dishes. Eels are found without heads or torn to pieces. Blue crabs swim fast and strong. They tear through fishermen’s nets. They eat a lot, but nothing in Italy eats them . . . except people.

A female blue crab produces about a half million eggs a year. Can Italians eat crabs that fast?

They’re trying. At one restaurant, La Peschereccia, 10 euros ($11) buys four grilled crabs or linguine tossed with crabs, tomato, onion, basil, and chili pepper sauce.

The chef says, “It’s very popular with people and runs out in the first half hour.”

Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. — Genesis 9:3