Artificial crablet production method to encourage farmers for commercial farming

KHULNA, Apr 27 (BSS): A method developed by the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI) scientists for crablets production artificially in the hatchery has generated hopes among farmers to boost up its commercial production.

The invention of BFRI scientists would end the dependence on natural sources for production of a young crab, opening up the way of its commercial production in the hatchery, said chief of the research team Dr. Latiful Islam.

Dr Islam and his colleague Mamun Siddiqui got the preliminary success in this research in 2015 in their Paikgacha Research Centre. But their venture went slow for lack of modern hatchery and management.

But in June 2018, they got a modern and high quality hatchery at a cost of Tk 11.8 million infusing momentum into the research process. In April this year the team finally became successful in their research.

Crabs are the second highest exportable non-traditional aquatic item of Bangladesh after shrimp, Dr Islam said, adding that now the country mostly exports two varieties of crabs to different Asian and European countries including Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Korea and China.

Shila variety of crab is available everywhere in the coastal region of Bangladesh which is very delicious and rich in nutritional value. Fishing of this particular type of crab is on rise due to its high demand and value in the international markets.

A Shila Crab can become two kilograms in weight, but those of 200 grams to 500 grams have maximum demand in the market. Cultivation and fattening of such crabs began in Bangladesh in eighties.

Now both production and fattening process of the crabs are being done completely in natural ways as crabs are being widely produced and fattened in water bodies, ponds and cages.

Cultivation of crabs has gained popularity in coastal areas and many farmers are also cultivating crabs of soft shell. For maximum profit, the farmers are indiscriminately collecting gravid crabs and fries without considering its sequence.