The US’ National Fisheries Institute’s Crab Council has announced that the minimum size crab its members will accept from processors has been increased from 8cm to 10cm, to allow crabs more time to grow, mature and reproduce.
“We have looked at the biology of the blue swimming crab and believe that raising the minimum harvest size to 10cm will result in substantially more reproductive recruitment and contribute to the sustainability of the stock,” said Ed Rhodes marine biologist and Crab Council executive director.
The Council says that some municipalities in Asia have moved to a 10cm minimum size and others are considering it, but the Council’s new guideline would be the first multi-national, minimum size sourcing policy for blue swimming crab.
“This new minimum size will also allow us to develop product specifications that can be used to reinforce our goal of minimising the take of undersized crabs,” said council interim chair Brendan Sweeney of Handy International. “This is an example of the science and the practical application of policy working as a de facto regulation.”
