News

New solution to deal with catching of undersized crabs

April 16, 2021 5:30 am

Undersized crabs that are confiscated during market inspections are now being housed at a fattening facility in Navua.

Fisheries Minister, Semi Koroilavesau, says it’s been found that when these crabs are released, they are recaptured and put back on the market for sale.

Koroilavesau says that to ensure these undersized crabs reach their legal size, they have developed a new solution.

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“Naturally we put them in ponds so that they can be fattened and then they can be utilized later. We’ve found that when we confiscate undersized crabs and we release them back into the wild, people in the surrounding areas have gone out and caught it again.” 

The Minister says these crabs need a safe environment to breed and grow into their required size.

Koroilavesau says the Fisheries Ministry enforcement unit issues fines as a last resort adding that the goal is to first educate fishermen and vendors of the laws in place to ensure sustainable fishing practices.