Capture-based aquaculture of mud crabs (Scylla spp.)
Colin Shelley
YH & CC Shelley Pty. Ltd
Brisbane, Australia
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Shelley, C. 2008. Capture-based aquaculture of mud crabs (Scylla spp.). In A. Lovatelli and P.F. Holthus (eds). Capture-based aquaculture. Global overview. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper. No. 508. Rome, FAO. pp. 255–269.
SUMMARY
There is limited understanding of wild mud crab resources and how best to manage them in many countries, particularly where fisheries management resources and enforcement capabilities are limited. The growth of mud crab aquaculture is likely to lead to changes to the ecological, socioeconomic and livelihoods currently associated with mud crab fisheries. This paper provides an overview of the issues, needs, opportunities and risks in trying to maintain sustainable mud crab fisheries, whilst supporting the ecologically sustainable development of mud crab aquaculture.
The uncontrolled fishing of juvenile crabs for farming in some countries has led to recruitment overfishing, even though mud crabs are very fecund and have extended spawning seasons over much of their range. Conserving of mud crabs primary habitat, mangrove forests, is critical to supporting their populations, as is the regular monitoring of stocks to guard against their over-fishing. Environmentally sustainable farming of mud crabs in mangrove pens is seen as an important tool in both conserving mangrove forests, and expanding farm production areas.
Significant growth of mud crab aquaculture is only going to occur from hatchery sourced seed-stock, as wild populations are at either at their limit or over-fished in many countries. Such growth will also be dependent on the development of formulated diets to reduce mud crab farming’s current dependence on trash-fish, a resource which is already under pressure from other types of aquaculture.
During the transition from an industry dependent on wild mud crab seed-stock and wild feed resources, to hatchery produced seed-stock and formulated fields there will be changes to the current supply chains, and employment opportunities. Consideration needs to be given to programmes to assist fishers of both wild mud crab seed-stock and trash-fish (and associated middlemen) as the farming of mud crabs moves to a more industrial scale as is currently taking place in China, as both groups are amongst the poorest in many coastal communities.