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The crab fishery resources of India

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Relation http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/2754/
 
Title The crab fishery resources of India
 
Creator Rao, P Vedavyasa
Thomas, M M
Rao, G Sudhakara
 
Subject Crabs
 
Description Crabs support a sustenance fishery of appreciable importance, although, its present status is not comparable
with that of those major crustacean fisheries such as prawns and lobsters. In addition to the marine
fishery, large number of crabs are landed from the estuaries and brackish water lakes adjoining the coastal
areas. To meet the increasing demand for frozen crab meat and to develop an organised crab fishing industry,
an evaluation of the existing resources is quite essential.
The fishery at present is supported mostly by the edible crabs belonging to the family Portunidae and
available information on the various aspects of the fishery show that the fishing is restricted to the inshore
areas mostly by operations of small indigenous crafts and gears. In most of the places crabs form an ancillary
catch along with other crustaceans and fishes, intensive fishing for crabs alone existing only in selected areas.
The annual catch which is less than 4,000 tonnes is subject to marked fluctuations. However, the distribution
of the species and the trend in production indicate scope for further expansion.
An attempt is made here to study the abundance and production of crabs from three general areas, viz.,
west coast of India, Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay and the northern part of the east coast from Point Calimere
to Sunderbans with a view to understand the crab resources of the country. The estimation of the
potential resources of the offshore waters as indicated by the trawler catches is also mide. The need for biological
investigattions on factors governing yield and crab population is stressed.
 
Date 1973
 
Type Conference or Workshop Item
PeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
Identifier http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/2754/1/Article_43.pdf
Rao, P Vedavyasa and Thomas, M M and Rao, G Sudhakara (1973) The crab fishery resources of India. In: Proceedings of the symposium on living resources of the seas around India, 1973, Mandapam Camp.