Protect pregnant blue crabKIEN GIANG (VNS) — Over 2,000 pregnant blue swimmer crabs (Portunus pelagicus) have been released in the sea off Phu Quoc Island during the Blue Crab Festival.The festival also seeks to warn local seafood producers about the possible extinction of natural ocean blue crab by promoting the slogan: "Protect pregnant blue crab, handle little blue crab with care".The slogan is meant to remind local farmers to not catch and trade pregnant blue crab or those with shells under 10cm in size. Because, sources for natural blue crabs have been over-exploited in recent years due to mass catches using improper fishing equipment, such as small mesh nets, and incorrect harvest periods during the reproductive months of crabs. A blue crab bank was established as part of the programme to provide aid to local fishermen to ease the over-fishing of blue crab in the area."The project aims at improving the blue crab catch in communities in a sustainable way. It helps to ensure prolonging the livelihood of local fishermen by setting up measures to manage the protection of blue crabs, as well as the ocean's ecological system," said Nguyen Dieu Thuy, manager of WWF Viet Nam's seafood exploitation programme.He noted that the programme was jointly managed by communities and local businesses involved in catching and selling seafood, who now are also responsible to assure there are sustainable catches. Blue crabs from Kien Giang are exported to Japan, Thailand and the US. — VNS
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