Culturing mangrove crabs in ponds

A need to address the twin pronged issues of excessive fishing effort and persistent poverty in coastal communities of Panguil Bay paved the way to culturing mangrove crabs in pond. Lucky enough, this proved to be an easy and successful undertaking. The only constraint is fisherfolk in the Panguil Bay coasts of the province lack the needed capital. The inability to access capital together with the needed technical know-how, somehow affected the positive drive towards progress.

To address such, the Accelerated Capability Enhancement of Small Scale Entrepreneurship (ACCESS) of the Fisheries Resource Management Project (FRMP) provided an avenue of hope – a relief to the fisherfolk. FRMP is a six-year project of the Department of Agriculture and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources with funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). It aims to address the issues on fisheries resource depletion and persistent poverty among municipal fisherfolk.

ACCESS enabled them to gain access to knowledge of appropriate technology of mangrove crab culture. The required training provided the recipients, the offices and members of Lintugod Multi-Purpose Cooperative (LMPC) starting capital in terms of instructional materials.

After several harvests, cooperative members and local populace including that of other provinces enjoy the colorful, orange shine of mangrove crab on their palates. In parties, the addition of crabs on the table gives color and life to culinary art ensemble. If arranged dramatically, it is expensive looking and most sought after delicacy here and abroad. Hotels and resorts include this in their menu and found it highly marketable.

The mudcrab project is an alternative livelihood for fisherfolk who are dependent on the degraded resources of Panguil Bay. The shift of livelihood from capture fishing to aquaculture will contribute on reversing the trend of fishery resource depletion in the bay. The project will enhance economic activity in the area, and increase the income of the cooperative’s officers and its members.

The project is implemented a 0.7- hectare fishpond ideally located at the center of the barangay and is very accessible to buyers as is easy to manage and monitor. The Lintugop Multi-Purpose Cooperative is the recipient of the project with 112 members and 22 direct beneficiaries. Stocking rate was planned at one crablet per square meter. However, due to in availability of seedling of the same size and classification at any given time, stocks were not uniformed. Total harvest was not done once as project, instead a series of partial harvest was done,

Stocking was done using 1 male for every 5 females of mangrove crabs and crablets in separate compartments. Harvesting was continuous. Produce was delivered per order from costumers, thus, commanding a higher price. When harvesting in bulk, the price is being dictated by buyers.

Shrimp, tilapia, mudfish, and gobies enter the pond through the gate. The project management observed that these incidental stocks provided additional income. It did not in any way affected the main stock. In the second cycle of operation, the management of the project decided to stock tilapia and prawn as secondary stocks.

"Aside from mangrove crabs, tilapia and prawn were also considered as in pond as secondary in the seven hectare fishpond. It will not in any way affect the production of mangrove crab, instead tilapia and prawn added to our income" Barangay Captain of Lintugod, Aurora Roger Defita said.

The initial stocking of the project provided the group with a gross income of more than P 50,000 and net income of more than P5,000.00. Aside from the economic returns, a positive relationship among the project beneficiaries was developed because of the bonding that resulted from the four-day hands-on training. It was observed that activities which allow community members to do productive undertakings together strengthens their relationship.

Community members who were reluctant to join the cooperative are now willing to join as the result. The success of the project somehow strengthened the faith of the community that government could succeed. The Mangrove Crab Culture in Pond project of Lintugod, Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur benefited the Lintugop Farmers and Fishermen’s Multi-Purpose Cooperative. The net income for the first stocking is more than P50,000 and is expected to increase in few years of operation and in its succeeding stocking. After the needed technical know-how, the project is expected to bring gains to the direct beneficiaries of the project.

Lintugop is one among the five coastal barangays of Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur covered by Panguil Bay. The said municipality is situated in a plateau of 1,000 feet above sea level. It is bounded on the north by the Dipolo river separating it from the Municipality of Tambulig on the south by Tukuran river separating it from the Municipality of Tukuran; on the northeast by the Municipality of Karumutan, and in the west by the Municipality of Ramon Magsaysay. It belongs to the 1st Congressional District of the Province of Zamboanga del Sur and is classified as a 3rd class municipality in terms of LGU income classification.

Barangay Lintugop has the population of 3,217 (as of year 2000). The said barangay has a total land area of 750 hectares, of which agricultural land comprises the biggest show. The trading center is a jump-point to neighboring island and is relatively accessible through land and water transport.

True to its purpose, FRMP interventions can ensure that our bay would continue to yield their bounty in the coming years. Income diversification measures are also created for fisherfolk to lessen their dependence on the sea, and fully empower them to participate in the resource management measure.