Mangrove crabs – an alternative livelihood project to help protect fishing cats and their globally important mangrove habitat in coastal South India
In coastal Andhra Pradesh in India, deforestation and aquaculture threaten unprotected mangrove forests and several vulnerable species that inhabit them, primarily fishing cats (Prionailurus viverrinus) and smooth-coated otters (Lutrogale perspicillata). A feasible strategy to conserve these unprotected mangroves is to provide human communities with alternative and sustainable livelihoods. One idea that can potentially curb deforestation is the sustainable harvest of mangrove mud crabs (Scylla spp.) with crab-culture boxes in naturally occurring water channels among mangroves. This idea is also a low-investment alternative to commercial aquaculture ponds that are more expensive to maintain, pollute natural waters, and are prone to income losses due to soil infertility.
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We are working to address deforestation of coastal mangroves and habitat loss to fishing cats due to aquaculture and agriculture. An estimated 50% or more of the historic mangrove forest cover throughout South and Southeast Asia has been lost due to unsustainable fish and shrimp farming practices.
The 'Mangrove Crabs' project's focus is currently on small, unprotected mangrove patches outside protected areas in coastal South India. We are in the process of testing box-based crab harvest with local people from three villages, Bendamurlanka (BEN), Samanthakuru (SAM), and Gachakayala Pora (GAC) in the Godavari River Delta of Andhra Pradesh, India. So far, we have deployed 20 crab boxes in unprotected mangrove areas, and are monitoring the growth of two crab species - Scylla serrata and Scylla olivacea in these boxes. We hope to encourage at least three people, one from each village, to help scale up our pilot crab-harvest by deploying 160-180 more crab boxes in total by the end of 2018 and market the harvest crabs.
