Evaluation of hatchery-based enhancement of the mud crab, Scylla spp., fisheries in mangroves: comparison of species and release strategies
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Ranching, stock enhancement and restocking are management approaches involving the release of wild or hatchery-bred organisms to enhance, conserve or restore fisheries. The present study, conducted from April 2002 to November 2005, evaluated the effectiveness of releasing wild and hatchery-reared (HR) mud crabs in the mangroves of Ibajay, Aklan, Philippines where preliminary studies demonstrated declining fishery yields, abundance and size of crabs. Comparison of survival and growth of wild-released and HR Scylla olivacea and HR Scylla serrata demonstrated the effect of nursery conditioning, size-at-release and species differences. Overall yield and catch per unit effort (CPUE) increased by 46% after stock enhancement trials. Recapture rates of released crabs were highest in wild-released S. olivacea and in crabs measuring 65.0–69.9 mm carapace width (CW) and lowest in non-conditioned HR S. serrata. Growth rates were highest for conditioned HR S. olivacea and lowest for conditioned HR S. serrata (11.7 and 3.7 mm month-1 respectively). Fishing mortality was highest for S. olivacea, whereas natural mortality was greater for S. serrata. Conditioning hatchery-bred animals before release is also important in obtaining higher survival. S. olivacea was the more appropriate of the two species for release in mangrove habitats inundated with low-salinity water. However, there is a need for site-specific studies to evaluate the effectiveness of releases.
Suggested Citation
Lebata, M. J. H. L., Le Vay, L., Walton, M. E., Biñas, J. B., Quinitio, E. T., Rodriguez, E. M., & Primavera, J. (2009). Evaluation of hatchery-based enhancement of the mud crab, Scylla spp., fisheries in mangroves: comparison of species and release strategies. Marine and Freshwater Research , 60(1), 58-69. https://doi.org/10.1071/MF08155
DOI
10.1071/MF08155Type
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1323-1650; 1448-6059Collections
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Overview of the mud crab industry in the Philippines
Quinitio, Emilia T.
(Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, 2017)
Mud crab farming has long been established in the Philippines and the country is the second top producer in the world. Except for Scylla paramamosain, the three other species, S. serrata, S. tranquebarica and S. olivacea are commonly found in the country, but S. serrata is the preferred species for farming. Crab seeds for farming are mainly from the wild and in recent years, a small percentage from the hatchery. Due to the apparent decline of the wild crab stocks, provincial and municipal ordinances have been issued by a number of Local Government Units (LGUs) along with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to conserve and manage the remaining resources. From the hatchery, megalopa or crab instars are grown in net cages installed in the nursery pond. Mud crab farming engages mostly in long-term grow-out culture of juvenile crabs to market size for 3-5 months, short-term fattening of lean crabs for 15-45 days, and recently, soft-shell crab production. Polyculture of juvenile crabs to market size with one to three other commodities in earthen brackishwater ponds is usually practiced. Mud crabs for soft-shell crab production are mainly from the wild, while SEAFDEC/AQD demonstrates the use of hatchery-produced juvenile mud crabs as seedstock. Refinement is continuously being done to improve the economic viability of producing crabs, although basic technologies have been developed for all phases of culture (hatchery, nursery, grow-out, fattening and soft shell crab production). The major issues facing the industry are the lack of seedstock, difficulty of zoea 5 to molt to megalopa stage, cannibalism particularly at the nursery phase, species identification at the juvenile stage, use of fish as aquafeed, diseases, effects of climate change and quality of crabs at postharvest. In 2012, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) started funding projects under the National Mud Crab Science and Technology Program (NMCSTP) to address these issues. The major aim of the Program was to improve the production, profitability and sustainability of crab farming. SEAFDEC/AQD leads in capacity building with focus on the sustainability of the mud crab industry. Various collaborations and research studies on mud crab culture enabled SEAFDEC/AQD to package mud crab technologies, conduct local and international training courses and on-site technology demonstrations, and publish extension manuals and scientific publications since the mid1990s. Research and Development activities have been translated into improved production. With the recent developments and refinements of technologies, it is expected that the Philippines will increase its production by 25-50% in the next 5 years. -
Seasonal abundance, distribution and recruitment of mud crabs (Scylla spp.) in replanted mangroves
; ; Lebata, Junemie H.; ; Primavera, Jurgenne (Elsevier, 2006)
The abundance and distribution of mud crabs were studied in a replanted mangrove forest in Buswang, Aklan, Philippines. Two fishing gears, lift nets and bamboo traps, were used to monitor relative abundance of Scylla spp. populations from March 2002 to December 2003 inside the mangrove forest. A third gear, a stakenet set across a creek, was used to monitor crabs migrating out of the mangroves during the ebb tide. Scylla olivacea formed 99.3% and 70.3% of the catch in the mangrove and the stakenet, respectively. The percentage of Scylla tranquebarica increased from <1% in the mangrove catches to 29% in the stakenet. Scylla serrata was present at very low levels in both catches. The lack of modal progression in the size–frequency plots and the year-round catch rate of gravid females suggested that recruitment was constant throughout the year. Even though relative abundance decreased over the study period indicating that the stock is being over-exploited, mud crab production is more than equivalent to that of most natural mangroves. -
Comparative study on the embryonic development of three mud crabs Scylla spp.
; ; Quinitio, Emilia T.; (Blackwell Publishing, 2012)
Morphological changes in the embryos, egg size and development, incubation period and morphological structures of newly hatched zoea of three mud crab Scylla species were determined. The three species exhibited similar embryonic development composed of 10 stages. The mean egg diameter of Scylla serrata was significantly larger (P<0.05) at the prehatch stage. The mean egg diameters of Scylla tranquebarica and Scylla olivacea were similar (P>0.05). The incubation period was the longest in S. serrata and the shortest in S. olivacea. There was a positive relationship between egg size and larval size, as S. serrata exhibited the largest egg size and first zoea. However, no correlation was detected between egg size at prehatch and lengths of the morphological structures of the newly hatched zoea. The three species exhibited similar lengths of cephalic structures, but S. olivacea had significantly shorter (P<0.05) abdominal structures. The duration of spawning from ablation was the shortest in S. tranquebarica and the longest in S. olivacea. The study is relevant to aquaculture and fisheries management of Scylla species.
