Crab farmers will be happier, and the environment hopefully better, with recent improvements at the mangrove crab hatchery of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD) in Tigbauan, Iloilo. Crablets used in the farming of the prized mangrove crabs, locally known as alimango, are usually collected from the wild and increasing demand has threatened their natural population with crablets becoming more difficult to find. “Overfishing has pushed the local government of areas heavily exploited for crablets such as Catanduanes, Surigao, and Samar. They have implemented strict prohibitions in the collection of wild crablets,” said Joana Joy Huervana, associate researcher at SEAFDEC/AQD and leader of the mangrove crab team.

de la Cruz, J. M. (2020, April 4). Good news for crab farmers: Simple techniques double crablet production. Panay News, pp. 7, 13.