By: Ahmad Anuar Ahmad Zainal

PORT DICKSON, 4 Feb - A total of 15,000 crablets have been released to their original habitat in Teluk Kemang Beach with the cooperation and involvement of the fishing community of Kampung Teluk Kemang.

Restocking blue swimmer crablets activity

Blue swimmer crablets

This program is conducted to maintain the sustainability of this species in the indigenous habitat of Port Dickson as well as to accommodate the declining of crabs landing. Fishermen have begun to catch small crabs which leads to the population imbalance, crablets release is one of the best ways to deal with the shortage of crab.

In Malaysia, the species Portunus Pelagicus with the common name "Swimming Blue Crab" is a Crustacea animal that belongs to the genus Portunus and the large family Portunidae.

Male crab and female crab

As a research institute in Aquaculture and Marine Sciences, the International Institute of Aquaculture and Aquatic Science (I-AQUAS), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) conducts the research on blue swimmer crab. Director of I-AQUAS, Prof Dr Fatimah Md Yusoff, together with the researchers, Prof Dr Aziz Arshad, Associate Prof. Dr. Murni Marlina Abd Karim and Mr. Mohd Fakhrulddin Ismail including other staff manages the research to provide the crablets.

I-AQUAS in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries Malaysia is in charge for the research process at the hatcheri level. Meanwhile, FRI Gelang Patah is responsible with the crablets nursery either in soil ponds or in cement reservoirs.

I-AQUAS hopes that with these efforts, the number of blue swimmer crabs will accommodate the fishing activity by the fishermen of Kampung Teluk Kemang which will eventually change the fishermen's economy for the long term.

Restocking blue swimmer crablets provided by I-AQUAS. Photo by Departyment of Fisheries Malaysia.

Date of Input: 28/02/2021 | Updated: 02/03/2021 | nsyahirah