Last night I was able to watch a show about Mud Crab Farming which has long been established in the Philippines and it really gets my attention. It is quite a good business that could be done on the side of our regular works.
In the Philippines, mud crab resource is a natural bounty giving those poor fishermen high prospective to change the socio-economic status or raise their economic status. I also learned that we are the second top producer of crab in the world.
Crabs are in great demand in seafood restaurants in the Philippines and even in some other South Asian countries. People seem to want to go to this kind of restaurants more often than going to other kinds of restaurants.
Honestly, I am not really fond of crabs I mean I don’t eat much of it, I seldom eat it since I was small, but I came to like it just very recently and crave to have more of it soon.
Anyhow, out of curiosity I decided to share with you how this delicious food is being processed, what I mean is how it is produced. So I made a few research and came up with the basics which I find worth sharing.
Culture
The process of keeping juvenile crabs and allowing them to grow. Harvest is done after 3-8 months, while short-term fattening of lean crabs can be harvested after 15-45 days.
For small-scale fisherman, Mud crab fattening is the most suitable method because obviously, the turnover is fast which reduces the risk of losing crabs to disease. There is a higher survival rate compared to grow-out system.
Different Methods
There are different methods of Crab Culture and in the Philippines, 4 methods are being practiced, the broadcast, stake, lattice and hanging.
Pond Culture
Pond size of about ½ to 1 acre with sandy and a mixture of 50% clay is the most suitable area for crab farming. One may use bigger or smaller area but should expect less yield or result.
Both water inlet and outlet system is needed to drain out water during water exchange. There should be a flow-through water mechanism to allow leftover organic food to be removed as well as those excretory materials.
How to prevent the scape of crabs?
There are a lot of ways fishermen’s are doing in order to prevent crabs to escape especially during nighttime. One is to place a fencing nylon net on the dike. They also keep stonewares, pipes and worn out tires at the bottom of the pond. Moreover, to prevent the scape of crabs by burrowing, several units of pens could be made also using bamboo strips.
Crab Culture in Mangrove Areas
A maximum of 100 sq. meter ponds are suitable for this type of culture with a canal surrounding the edge of the pond for water to be available during low tide. The center of the pond forms a raised platform with mangrove vegetation, which the crabs would use as a refuge during low tides. This also controls water exchange.
In order to prevent the scape of crabs in this setup, Polythene nettings could be used.
Cage Culture
Crab fattening can also be done in a cane cage which can be divided into nine equal compartments, typically with one crab placed in each compartment. These cages can be suspended or made as fixed type in ponds or in mangrove areas. To prevent scape of crabs each of these compartments are provided with a lid.
How to ensure survival while in transport
In order to ensure the high survival of crabs while in transport, a container with fronds of mangroves should be used. Chilepeds of crabs should also be tied firmly and then pour seawater once in a while to keep them wet since exposure to the sun can lead to death. I know fishermen know much about this and are already expert in preserving the crabs and keeping them alive until they reach their destination.
How to feed crabs
There are different types of feeds that can be given to the crabs, such as trash fish, mussel, chicken waste, clams, soft-shelled snails, kitchen leftovers, animal entrails, etc. They are normally being feed twice to 3 times a day with a certain proportion.
How to harvest crabs
Harvesting is done after about 20 days from fattening culture although it is not applicable on all crabs, I mean some crabs are ready to be harvested in different number of days. So when one crab or two reaches a kilo they are already set for harvest.
What to use when harvesting
Fishermen use different kinds of trap when harvesting crabs like the bamboo cage, lift net, scissors net, fish corrals and gill nets.
Major source of Crabs in the Philippines
Panquil Bay, Mindanao
Crab fattening is widely practiced in this area, maybe because fishermen’s here were given financial assistance by the Department of Agriculture. There are about 20 tons of exportable crab being shipped every month from Panquil Bay to Cebu and Manila.
So there you go with the basic information we should know about crab and how it is being cultured. As I’ve mentioned earlier this kind of business is good considering that most people like to eat crabs so selling them is not a problem. It can also be done while you are busy with your regular work. You just need to assign expert personnel to man the whole process for you and eventually earn good profit.
Thanks for reading, God bless!
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