The main ingredient in Singapore’s signature chilli crab is the Sri Lankan mud crab—a delicacy exported and valued worldwide. Now, the Fisheries Ministry has stepped in with regulations to curb the over-harvesting of these crustaceans from the wild.
Titled “Mud Crab Fishery Management Regulations, 2024”, the regulations apply to the fishing of wild mud crabs in Sri Lanka’s waters. They lay down the minimum size for wild crab that can be caught, sold, kept in possession, processed, or exported, with a width of no less than 130mm measured at the widest part of the carapace (the hard upper shell).
“A 130mm female giant mud crab would weigh around 430g, while a male mud crab of the same size would weigh 450g,” said Steve Creech, a fisheries expert working with the seafood export industry. “About 80 percent of female giant mud crabs would likely be mature by 130mm. So, a minimum size of 130mm will protect 80 percent of females that will then go on to reproduce.”
Dr. Creech said there was a growing tendency to catch juvenile mud crabs from the wild to cultivate in ponds. This was seriously impacting the population in the wild, with the danger that it would collapse. The same was seen with sea cucumbers, where the fingerling population in the wild was dwindling.
A whopping 63 percent of Sri Lanka’s exports of mud crab go to Singapore, followed by 11 percent to Hong Kong, six percent to Taiwan and five percent each to China and Britain. The other top importers are Switzerland, Canada, France and Thailand.
“Mud crabs with a carapace width of less than 130 millimetres and egg-bearing (berried) mud crabs that are caught in nets or other fishing gear shall be released alive,” the regulations state, adding that the minister shall declare closed season and open season for crab fishing in areas specified in a notice made by him on the recommendation of the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (as required, or every three years).
Additionally, the Director-General (DG) of Fisheries shall determine the size of mud crabs allowed to be caught during such an open season. A person shall not dredge or damage the sea bottom or banks of the habitat while fishing for mud crabs. The DG may, from time to time, require fishermen engaged in mud crab fishing, mud crab collectors and mud crab exporters to provide production data, export data or any other data related to the mud crab fishery.