SEAFDEC and ACIAR collaborate on mudcrab in Northern Samar

Press Release
By Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
July 18, 2007

Mudcrab’s profile as a prized aquaculture commodity just got another boost.

Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center - Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD) together with the Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR) joined forces to implement CATP or the Community Agricultural Technologies Project‘s “Enhancing adoption of mudcrab production technologies in Northern Samar.”

What makes Northern Samar the ideal place for this project? The province’s coastal mangroves are an abundant natural habitat for Scylla serrata. Despite this, Northern Samar remains a minor producer of marketable crabs although it is one of the biggest producers of wild harvested crablets to other parts of the country.

The project will establish four demonstration sites (one each in the municipalities of Lao-ang, Lavezares, Rosario and Pambujan) and undertake on-farm demonstration and assessment of nursery techniques, grow-out management, fattening and nutrition. Stock assessment will also be done to provide better guidance for the strengthening of local ordinances regarding crablet collection.

SEAFDEC/AQD will handle the research component of the project, with funding of around P1.4M of the total P3.313M allotted for the project. This includes the refining of improved cultural practices, wherein AQD will provide technical assistance for one full cycle of crab culture; and stock assessment and policy, which involves monitoring seasonal trends in relative abundance to mud crab size, sex, volume, stage of maturity and habitat condition. To this end, Mr. Renato Agbayani, Dr. Emilia Quinitio and Mr. Eduard Rodriguez conducted a field assessment together with CATP Program Manager Ms. Sheilah Vergara from February 27 to March 1.

SEAFDEC/AQD will assist the partner NGO, Action for Community Empowerment (ACE), in planning and conducting the training courses on the different phases of mudcrab culture, starting from nursery to grow-out to fattening in mangrove areas (also known as aquasilviculture).

It is hoped that at the end of the 30-month project (May 2007-November 2009), adoption of improved technologies is sustained; availability of seed stock for beneficiary communities is improved; advocacy for improved ordinances to manage the collection of wild crablets is sustained; total harvests and production of mudcrabs are improved by 15-30% compared with standard practices; and that the income of farmer beneficiaries sees a 10-20% increase.

The Northern Samar sites are under AQD’s “Institutional capacity building for sustainable aquaculture” project which seeks to transfer appropriate aquaculture and fishery resources management strategies to target beneficiaries.

The project also extends the outcome of ACIAR-supported research on mudcrab culture done by SEAFDEC/AQD from 1996-2000.