Managing the Mud Crab Fishery Characterized by Traditional Knowledge, Post harvest losses, Fear, Exploitation Dynamics, and Varied Regulations: “The aquaculture intervention for Lamu and Lower Tana regions”

Mud crabs are a high value crustacean that has wide demand globally due the meat quality. Lamu and Lower Tana Counties form major sources of wild mud crab fishing in Kenya with Lamu having the largest documented mangrove forest at 61,836 ha. A random clustered design was employed to segregate fishers into established conservancies and non-conservancies. Respondents were randomly selected from fishing villages to participate in the study. Focus group discussions were conducted over a period a period of three days using probing techniques and key informant interview using the snowball method. It was established that mud crab fishing occurred both during the day and at night using different methods that include fishing lines, burrow fishing, net fishing and night torch fishing with accompanied scoop nets. The most preferred fishing method was established to be burrow and night torch fishing. The market for mud crabs is structured as per region with overall consensus being on crab grading structure. Grade A, B and C serve as the categorization of crabs depending on weight and appearance of the crab at harvest and presentation to the buyers thus attracting different prices. In all the marketing grades, prices offered in Lamu were higher by 200-350% compared to prices offered in Lower Tana. Overall, the study indicated that high end crab markets are mainly a preserve of the mud crab dealers and exporters, with little information available to the crab fishers. Management of the mud crab catches was observed to lead to major post-harvest losses of crabs estimated at 30% between the crab fisher and the traders based on the dryland retention of mud crabs estimated between 4 – 10 days before reaching the export market or final market designation. Mud crab aquaculture intervention could significantly improve management of the mud crab catches through reduction of mortality-related losses along the value chain and in addition help to strengthen fishers' bargaining power for better prices.