S

Environmental Conservation Activity

Sithikone Mounlamai 5628330Amir Kamyabi 5637832Piyathida T. 5337832Remo Bryan Nyffenegger 5628105

Crab Sustainability Project In Kungkrabaen, Chanthaburi

Outline

Introduction

Description

The potential Benefits and

Disadvantages.

Conclusion and Perspective

Introduction

Many parts of Thailand attach to the sea

Career opportunities

Overfishing problem

Caused Population of some marine species to decrease

The Blue Swimmer Crab (Portunus Pelagicus)

- large 15-25cm

- The male crabs have a heavy blue color pattern

- females tend to be less conspicuous with brown/greenish color patterns

- One female produce 300,000-700,000 eggs

Mr. Thakorn Kakhaikitthaw

at

The local senior fisheries biologist

dedicated to saving and conserving the ecosystem around Kungkrabaen, Chanthaburi

Description

- Staff member at the royal development study center explained how they trap the crabs.

- Before they used speed boats to bring them back the coast, but the crabs and their eggs died due to motor oil contamination.

- After catching them, the crabs and eggs are separated.

- We simply collected the eggs with a brush by rubbing the brush softly against the eggs and collect them into the bucket with the sea water

- After the eggs hatch they release them to the sea.

- The trap’s web magnitude should be 2.5 cm

- The price for these cages are 30-40 Baht.

- They usually tell the locals not to catch

juvenile crabs or crabs with eggs, but

some just don’t listen.

- Unhatched are at the bottom, hatched eggs are on the top.

- Water circulation flows from one barrel to the next,

- The problem with this method is, the eggs that are dead

are mixed at the bottom with the other unhatched eggs. - Solution: cylinder shaped barrels

WE bought 6 blue swimmer crabs with eggs and went back to

the Royal development study center to go through the process

of separating the eggs with the brush we learned earlier, and

after we put the eggs inside the barrels, we freed the crabs into

the sea.

Benefits

-Fishermen can catch more crabs as crab population increases, people can harvest crabs all year

-Fishermen’s income has increased to 20,000/ a month

-Change fishermen's attitude/ethics.

-People learns to give back to nature.

Disadvantages

- Some tourists still harvest crabs in conservation area. They also harvest baby crabs and pregnant crabs. Even though they're asked not to do that.

- There's too little qualified staff.

- Some local food shop still harvest pregnant crabs for sell.

Conclusion

Blue swimmer crabs on their way to recovery

Local meeting January 2014+ Discussing crab sustainability project+ Presenting current environmental situation+ Educating locals on conservation methods and tactics

Regulations inspected more frequently

Ecotourism+ Insights from local people+ Fun outdoor activities

Conclusion

Good location Well organizes hatchery Successful conservation

methods Helpful staff Visible results Cooperation of locals Various outdoor

activities

Basic equipment Not enough staff Project cost issues

Positive Negative

THANK YOU