BFAR XI release crablets

TAGUM CITY-The city government  successfully concluded the 1^st Crab Seeding Ceremony at the Tancuan Creek in Barangay Bincungan.

More than 500 crablets of Mud Crab, also known as King Crab or Mangrove Crab (Scylla serrata) were ceremoniously released at the mangrove reforestation area where they will be grown until they reach the appropriate size and weight.

“The newly-released crablets were hatched from the P2-million Multi-Species Hatchery in Barangay Liboganon which was inaugurated in September last year,” said BFAR XI Director Fatma M. Idris. The hatchery is capable of hatching up to 76,800 crablets per quarter.

While BFAR provided the funding for the hatchery, it will be managed by the city government. The land where the hatchery stands is the city's counterpart to the project.

City Agriculturist, Engr. Harold S. Dawa said in just seven months, the crablets could already weigh 1.5 Kilogram (kg) to 2 kg which can be sold at P400 to P600 per kg.

Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo P. del Rosario, who was also present during the ceremony, said Tagumenos have no choice but to make the mud crab industry competitive considering that the ASEAN Economic Cooperation (AEC) has started and this product is expected to be one of those that will be meet with huge demand in the market.

"The fingerlings from the hatchery will be distributed to the fisherfolk so that we will have sufficient supply of crabs in the future," Del Rosario said. It is also expected to be an income-generating project for the fisherfolk in the area.

Del Rosario said raising mud crabs or soft shell crabs is very profitable not only because of the increasing demand in the local but also in the international market. Among the countries already importing the crabs are Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Europe and the United States. 

In Davao del Norte, the growing of soft shell crabs is pioneered by AB Maningo Farm which is included in the Tagum City River Cruise which aims to promote eco-tourism in the area. Among the few countries that produce the crabs are Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Most consumers prefer the soft-shell crabs since these are not only available whole year round but can be eaten whole once cooked.

The hatchery, which will not only focus on mud crabs but other fish species as well, took ten years of intensive planning before it was finally realized. The hatchery is equipped with a larval tank, algal tank, a reservoir, a power supply system and a nursery.

Tagum City Mayor Alan L. Rellon said the release of the crablets does not only signal the beginning of the mud crab production in the city but it will also pave the way for the realization of the city’s dream of making Tagum the crab capital in this part of Mindanao.

Dawa said the hatchery plans to release some of the crablets to the wild every production season so it is also expected to increase the number of wild crabs along the Creek which would be advantageous to the fisherfolk who could make a living out of it.