The Blue swimming crab fisheries in the Philippines

The BSC Fisheries in the Philippines

Jimely Flores

10/10/11

The blue swimming crabs (kasag, alimasag, Portunus pelagicus) is the fourth top export fisheries product of the Philippines. From BFAR’s latest statistics (Year 2009) the recorded revenue was about 39.171 Thousands US Dollar (1.8 Billion Philippine Pesos) from a quantity of 4,357 tons of crab (live/fresh/frozen/chilled), crab meat and crab fats. At present there are eight major exporters of crab meat based in the country and most of their produced are going to the USA. The values and number of exporters presently competing really indicates how important this resources are to the country’s economy. Yet…

Assessments of the blue swimming crab condition in the waters are indicating so much pressure to the available stock capital. As early as in the late 1990’s, Ingles and Flores (2000) have been reporting significant decreased in the CPUE (catch per unit effort) of crabbers. Recent interviews of crabbers is even showing more dire situation. In one of my travels to Guiuan last May of this year 2011, a crabber who set his 5-kilometer net in a day catch only 3 pcs of small crabs while his kumpare catch nothing at all. Why?…

Fifty percent (50%) of the Female blue swimming crabs in the Philippine’ waters could only start to bear eggs and produce baby crabs when they grow at a carapace width of 10.5-centimeters while the 50% Male blue swimming crabs matures at 9.65-cm only. The other 50% could mature earlier or even later than the sizes mentioned. Since it is only the female crabs that lay eggs and produce baby crabs it is therefore more practical to at least let the female blue swimming crabs lay their first babies first before catching them. This way we could help ensure that the supply of blue swimming crabs will not diminish. Yet…

We are catching large percentage of the immature crabs, the mature crabs and even the egg-bearing crabs. The figure only shows we are withdrawing not just the interest of the capital but also the capital that is why the supply of crabs from the waters is decreasing. Is there a solution?…

Thumbs up to BFAR, they are now on the process of adopting the Philippine BSC Management Plan. Within the Plan, there are various actions identified:

• A 10-cm carapace width minimum legal size of landed and traded crabs,
• Reduction of fishing effort through minimum length of gillnet and number of units of traps/pots
• Encouragement on the use of environment friendly crabbing gears like bamboo traps and pots over the waste-producer and ghostfishing gillnets and pvc-made pots and traps.
• Possible closure of fishing ground or fishing season
• Regular scientific studies (stock assessment, monitoring, research and developments, etc.).

Yet… it is now two year since the process was started and the official adoption is still not being heard of. The sad thing is, there are organizations lobbying for the reduction of the 10-cm minimum legal size agreed upon during the consultations. The 10-cm is the perfect starting point (consensus between the crabbers and the scientist) to start saving the crabs resources. A minimum legal below the 10-cm defies the purpose of the management plan and all the efforts trying to ensure the long lasting supply of crabs in the country.