Community members hold a banner promoting the campaign. KCC
Coastal communities are partnering with the Fisheries Administration’s (FiA) provincial cantonments of Kampot and Kep to launch the second phase of their campaign to save egg-laden sponge crabs from being harvested during the month of July. This initiative is aimed at bolstering the nation’s crab supply and ensuring its continual growth.
A community spokesperson, requesting anonymity, revealed the July timeframe was selected in line with the crabs’ breeding season and to commemorate National Fish Day.
“We organised this campaign in July, the egg-laying season. It’s also a nod to National Fish Day, a reminder of our commitment to sustainable crab stocks and conservation,” he said.
He noted a current uptick in crab prices due to dwindling numbers. As such, the campaign is seen as essential to stimulating an increase in natural crab stocks for a more sustainable supply.
“Join the campaign to safeguard egg-bearing ‘sponge’ crabs and ensure a plentiful crab supply. Releasing these sponge crabs back to the sea signifies your contribution to the continual growth of our crab population. Join our four-pronged commitment: do not catch, buy, sell or eat them. Instead, respect the law, release, participate and become a role model,” he urged.
Sar Sorin, director of the FiA’s Kampot cantonment, highlighted the success of “crab banks” in place since 2008. These projects encourage the donation of egg-laden sponge crabs to the administration for safe release. This initiative forms part of the wider campaign to enhance natural crab production.
“The community-based crab bank has been a success,” said Sorin, citing statistics from the FiA’s Research Institute showing increased crab numbers.
“We’ve observed an upturn in the natural crab population since the crab bank’s inception. It’s enabled year-round availability of crabs, so we’re hopeful that protecting sponge crabs will further augment the wild crab numbers,” Sorin shared.
On a yearly basis, the FiA collects between 2,500 and 3,000kg of sponge crabs for safe release back in the wild, according to Sorin.
