AN OVERVIEW OF THE STATUS AND POTENTIAL OF THE MUD CRAB FISHERY IN COASTAL BANGLADESH: PROSPECT, STRATEGIES, APPROACHES

Public awareness of the potential of the Mud crab fishery in coastal areas of Bangladesh has been particularly strong, in recognition of climate resilience and the particularly high export value of crabs. Endemic crabs show promise for cultivation, with potentially excellent economic and nutritional rewards.  Despite such favorable prospects, the crab culture industry has remained undeveloped, and is restricted almost entirely to the fattening or growout of wild-caught juveniles; hatchery technology has not yet advanced sufficiently to deliver a reliable and abundant source of seedstock.  The high aquaculture and export potential of the sector hinges on favorable biological, social and economic factors; coastal interest and international demand and price are compelling industry incentives.  From a commercial perspective, efforts to close the life cycle of the burrowing mud crab Scylla serrata have had only limited success, and the hatchery and nursery phases of mass culture remain serious bottlenecks to mass culture.  The current study has focused on the underlying perceptions and circumstances of crab fishery in coastal Bangladesh, as relevant to the potential for continuing aquaculture development. Our analysis focused on qualitative opportunities, approaches and impediments, using Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (or SWOT) analysis.  This was conducted to explore issues integral to the development of the crab sector toward sustainable growth of the industry in coastal Bangladesh.  Interviews, focus groups, and a workshop were carried out in support of the analytical process.   Evaluation and analysis of primary and secondary data revealed several unifying trends, such as consistently escalating price and demand, biological tolerance of variable and at times adverse environmental conditions, relatively low levels of investment required for farming, good benefits, appealing polyculture and integrated farming characteristics, availability of suitable resources, and nearly optimal climate and water quality conditions in coastal Bangladesh.  Impediments to industry growth include a daunting dependence on wild-caught juvenile crabs.  Challenges include the lack of suitable hatchery operation, limited technical knowledge, unavailability of specialized feeds, shallow and somewhat unstable domestic markets, susceptibility of young crabs to mortality, scarcity of technical and market support, and inadequate strategic policy.  These must be considered together with promising incentives for industry development: high market potential, farming interest, prospects for employment generation, nutritional quality, and apparently robust business opportunities.  Continuous extractive practices and compromised habitat quality have led to significant depletion of wild stocks, complicating a value chain already troubled by indiscriminate patterns of harvest.  Market competition from imported crabs must be factored into plans for industry growth and development; these and other threats impose limitations on the capacity for sustainable expansion of the mud crab industry in coastal Bangladesh.  Some recommendations are also detailed in the interest of adopting a responsible integrated coastal fisheries management approach and strategic policy development.  This planning approach is based on anticipation of technological, environmental, regulatory and commercial management factors. Important guidance to industry development can be gained by considering past regional successes and failures with other crustaceans.  For example, the remarkably successful growth of the mitten crab (Eriocheirsinensis) industry in China may have value as a model for the mud crab industry in Bangladesh.