5th Blue Crab Festival in Thessaloniki

The Blue Crab Festival is being organized for the 5th consecutive year in Thessaloniki!

Once again this year, on June 18, we celebrate World Sustainable Gastronomy Day with the Blue Crab Festival, in collaboration with the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Municipality of Thessaloniki.

iSea invites the residents of Thessaloniki and visitors of the city to enjoy a unique gastronomic experience, tasting delicious recipes made from one of the most widespread alien species in Thessaloniki and Thermaikos Gulf, the Atlantic blue crab, while also learning about marine alien and invasive species, responsible seafood consumption, and the replacement of commercial indigenous species whose populations are reduced with alien ones — bringing the protection of marine ecosystems onto their plates.

Since 2020, more than 10,000 residents and visitors of Thessaloniki have celebrated World Sustainable Gastronomy Day at the coastal front of Thessaloniki, consuming over 3 tons of Atlantic blue crab.

This year as well, on Thursday, June 18, from 19:00 to 23:00, we will gather at Zongolopoulos “Umbrellas” on the Waterfront of Thessaloniki, where renowned chefs and passionate ambassadors for the promotion of marine alien species consumption will prepare and offer for free unique street food dishes featuring Atlantic blue crab, provided by Forkys Foods.

iSea will be there, raising awareness  about the expansion and impacts of marine invasive species, while also promoting responsible seafood consumption alternatives.

Representatives from the Fish the Alien project of the Marine & Environmental Research (MER) Lab from Cyprus will join us as well, sharing knowledge and practices related to marine alien species.

At the same time, our partners from incommon will be informing the public about reducing food waste and collecting festival’s food waste.

The rhythm of the festival will once again be set by our media supporter, Plus Radio 102.6!

The festival is held under the auspices of the Region of Central Macedonia and the Municipality of Thessaloniki, with the support of Forkys Foods and Plus Radio 102.6.

The Blue Crab Festival is one of the actions to promote key blue crab-related management measures and to engage the public and stakeholders in the protection of marine biodiversity, in line with the “Guidelines Document on the Identification and Introduction of Appropriate Measures for the Reduction of New Introductions and for Eradication/Control of Non-Indigenous Species” and the “Best Practices and Management Measures of the Blue Crabs in the Mediterranean”, issued by the Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas SPA/RAC.

The 5th Blue Crab Festival is being funded this year by the Green Fund, under the funding programme “NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE 2026” – Outreach Actions 2026”, with a total budget of €13,900. The coordinating beneficiary of the initiative is iSea, Non-Profit Civil Partnership for the Protection of Aquatic Ecosystems.