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Our Bureau

Kakinada , Sept. 20

The time is ripe for Andhra aqua farmers to take up crab culture as a measure of diversification, as it is not advisable to depend on shrimp culture alone and as the technology for crab culture has been developed, said Dr M. Sakthivel, President of the Aquaculture Foundation of India.

He was delivering a lecture at a seminar on aqua technologies, with special reference to Andhra Pradesh, organised by the Andhra University here on Wednesday.

He said the Godavari and Krishna estuaries were particularly suited for mud crab culture and there was a great demand for crabs in the export market.

Dr Sakthivel said the prices of shrimp were coming down in the international market and there was the recurring problem of viral diseases such as white spot disease. "Therefore, it is not advisable to depend on shrimp alone and crab culture should be taken up, as seed is now available. The first commercial crab hatchery has come up in Tamil Nadu and the seed can be supplied on a large scale," he said.

APPREHENSIONS

He said there were certain apprehensions among Andhra farmers that as mud crab was a carrier of the white spot virus and that the shrimp farms might be affected, "but there is no scientific basis for such fears. Anyway, as a measure of abundant caution, crab culture can be taken up in a suitable belt such as Kakinada-Yanam demarcated for the purpose."

Dr J.V.H. Dixitulu, Editor of Fishing Chimes, also endorsed the view of Dr Sakthivel that crab culture posed no threat to shrimp farms or hatcheries. "Monoculture is never desirable. AP farmers should diversify into crab culture," he said.

Mr V.G. Eraniyappan, owner of the crab hatchery, said that crab seed could be supplied for large-scale crab culture in AP. He said that at present 2,000 tonnes of live crabs were being exported through Chennai, but there was great potential for such exports from the Kakinada alone, at least 10,000 tonnes per annum.

Dr Arasu spoke about seaweed farming and earlier, while inaugurating the seminar, Prof. L. Venugopala Reddy, Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University, said the university had introduced several courses in aquaculture to support the industry.

Dr T. Rajyalakshmi, former director of the Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, suggested in her paper that "the polluter pays" principle be applied to aquaculture. She said the use of chemicals and antibiotics in aquaculture should be curbed and the best practices for water management adopted.

More Stories on : Poultry | Andhra Pradesh | Diversification

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