The Kaanib ng mga Mangingisda at Magsasaka ng Numancia Aqua-Agrikultura (KAMAMANA), established in Del Carmen, Siargao Island in 2011 is a People's Organization active in promoting the advocacy in 1) protecting the environment and natural resources, 2) providing services for the family welfare, and 3) managing sustainable livelihood programs and community development. One of the major livelihood programs presently being implemented by KAMAMANA is the fattening of mud crab (mangrove crab), Scylla serrata, in plastic containers set up in a mangrove area. Tenurial rights to manage a 2-hectare mangrove area for 25 years was granted to KAMAMANA by the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources. Crabs obtained from the mangrove areas of Del Carmen and nearby municipalities are purchased and stocked in plastic containers. The crabs are fed trash fish and mollusks once every afternoon to satiation until they are fattened, usually for 1-2 weeks. The major problem encountered is mortality after molting. Four KAMAMANA members are involved in the crab fattening. When mortalities occur, the dead crabs are usually charged to members assigned in the operation. The fattened crabs are sold to local restaurants, hotels, resorts and walk-in buyers or brought to traders in Surigao City. The net income is divided into the following: members involved in the culture (50%), treasurer (10%), business manager (15%), organizational share (5%), savings (5%) and trust fund (15%).

The article presents the trade of juvenile crabs in the Province of Capiz, Philippines. Moreover grow-out culture was also presented. Likewise, common problems encountered in the trade, and culture of the crabs was discussed.

This study assessed the mangrove community structure, relative seasonal abundance of all size classes of crabs (catch per unit effort or CPUE) and percent composition of the catch in two collection grounds in Pambujan and Rosario, Northern Samar using cylindrical bamboo traps and lift nets. Mangroves in Pambujan was dominated by Avicennia marina and A. alba. The initial total count of mangrove trees (67 stems ha^-1) was slightly higher compared with the final count (61 stems ha^-1). On the other hand, mangroves in Rosario was dominated by Rhizophora apiculata and R. stylosa. The total count of mangrove trees was higher in the initial (108 stems ha^-1) compared with the final (46 stems ha-1). However, saplings and seedlings increased in both sites after 18 months. Mean CPUE ranged from 0.04 to 0.4 crabs using cylindrical bamboo traps in the monthly spring tide sampling for 19 months in Pambujan. High mean CPUE was recorded in February and August 2008. Mean CPUE ranged from 0.04 to 0.41 crabs using lift nets in the monthly spring tide sampling. The highest mean CPUE was noted in August. The initial and final CPUE were comparable. In Rosario, mean CPUE ranged from 0.3 to 1.78 crabs monthly caught in cylindrical bamboo traps and from 0.04 to 0.77 crabs in lift nets. In general, the number of crabs caught in both traps was higher in Rosario than in Pambujan. Mud crab ranged from 2.02-72.2% of the monthly total catch in lift nets in Pambujan. Other species of crabs ranging from 27.78 to 86.36% were the dominant catch in several months. In Rosario, mud crab ranged from 12.5 to 82.35% of the monthly total catch. The catch composition of the cylindrical bamboo traps was more varied compared with lift nets in both sites. The decrease in the population of mud crabs may also be associated with the decrease in mangrove trees. With the continuous cutting of trees and regular extraction of all sizes of mud crabs, the industry may no longer become sustainable. This paper is the first to be done on the assessment of the mud crab population in Northern Samar and the information gathered can be used as basis for the development and improvement of the existing fisheries legislation for the conservation and management of the remaining wild resources.

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.

The effects of antibiotics on the external deformities, growth and survival of mud crab Scylla serrata larvae and juveniles were determined. Zoeae were exposed to oxytetracycline (OTC) (0, 3.0, 6.0, 9.0, 12 mg L^-1) and furazolidone (FZD) (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 mg L^-1) in the first and second experiments, respectively, until the late megalopa. The crab instars were grown in nursery tanks for 1 month. Larvae survived until megalopa only at 3.0 and 6.0 mg L^-1 OTC or 0.5 and 1.0 mg L^-1 FZD. These four concentrations were run simultaneously in another experiment. Morphological deformities in zoea 5 were bent dorsal, rostral and furcal spines. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) on the deformities of zoea 5 in 3.0 and 6.0 mg L^-1 OTC and 0.5 and 1.0 mg L^-1 FZD. Significantly (P < 0.05) higher survival and faster growth were attained in 3.0 mg L^-1 OTC and 0.5 mg L^-1 FZD. Deformities observed in juveniles were fused frontal and lateral spines, asymmetrical and depressed tip of abdominal flap and gap between sternites. High percentage occurrence of deformities was observed in the 6.0 mg L^-1 OTC and 1.0 mg L^-1 FZD in the first and third experiments, respectively. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) observed in the survival of juveniles in OTC and FZD treatments. However, growth was significantly (P < 0.05) faster in lower concentrations of the two antibiotics. The study shows the effects of OTC and FZD in the morphology of mud crab. Therefore, there is a need to eliminate the use of antibiotics and find alternatives.

Starvation and exposure to formalin were investigated as possible stress tests for evaluating the quality of mud crab, Scylla serrata, larvae. For the starvation stress test, newly hatched zoeae stocked in 150-ml containers were either starved or fed rotifers. Similarly, newly hatched zoeae were stocked in containers with seawater of 0 (control), 20, 30 and 40 mg/L formalin for the formalin stress test. The zoeae from the same batches were used for seed production to monitor their performance and validate the results of stress tests. Starvation was found to be unsuitable for larval quality evaluation. However, the impact of initial food deprivation on the newly hatched larvae indicates that feeding immediately after hatching is necessary for mud crab larvae. Exposure of larvae to 40 mg/L formalin for 3 hr appeared to be a reliable and practical method for larval quality assessment as the survival of larvae in the mass production tanks validated the classification of good and poor quality batches in the stress tests. On this basis, a hatchery operator can decide which batch should be cultured further. Finally, there appears to be a link between the quality of larvae and the performance at the megalopa and early juvenile crabs.