Campania aquaculture faces crisis as sea temperatures top 30°C

Coldrietti Pesca Campania warns that unusually high sea temperatures, now above 30 °C in coastal nurseries, are causing mass die‑offs of mussels, clams and other marine organisms in the Gulf of Naples, Pozzuoli and the Fusaro and Miseno lakes. The heat has triggered algal blooms and low‑oxygen conditions, leading to loss of harvests and threatening feed supplies for fish farms.

The sector, valued at about €500 million, is already under pressure from rising energy costs, higher raw‑material prices, the war in Ukraine and broader climate change impacts. Daniela Borriello, national head of Coldrietti Pesca, said the industry is “facing an extremely delicate moment” as these new temperature‑related expenses add to existing economic strains, jeopardising production, food safety, jobs and coastal stewardship.

If the trend continues, Italian aquaculture could fall further behind major producing countries, worsening the long‑term decline of the domestic sector.