SANDAKAN: Sandakan-based integrated aquaculture group Borneo Aqua Harvest Berhad (Bahvest) managed to hatch 1.2 million crab eggs for the first time in the district.
The crabs comprised three different species, namely the Ridget Swimming Crab or Rock Crab, the Blue Swimmer or Flower Crab and the Giant Mud Crab, all of which are marketed locally and internationally.
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The successful breeding and hatching of the crabs has met the commercial requirements of producing at least 100,000 crabs at a time.
State Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Junz Wong is pleased with the historical and pioneering success in Sabah.
He said it is among the initiatives in the ministry’s action plan blueprint to ensure continuous supply of crabs at an affordable price for the locals.
“Besides that, we also want to help villagers, fresh graduates and the youths through the crab breeding (industry).
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“The ministry also has a scheme that would supplement their crab breeding endeavours,” he said when met during a site visit to the crab hatchery, here, recently.
In addition to the three crab types, Junz said the ministry is also committed to the natural production of mud crabs (ketam bakau).
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“We also want the villagers to generate income through producing mud crabs.
“However, we are still in the research process on how best to expand this industry,” he added.
Junz said during his visit to Kalimantan recently, he met with an alliance and discussed managing a 125-hectare mangrove area there that would yield 12 to 15 tonnes of crab.
On a similar development, Junz said the State has about 200 hectares of mangrove areas that would yield a similar potential.
He said relevant research will be conducted and would include creating a breeding prototype of the mud crabs.
He added that Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) has also researched on breeding the crab species. However, it is yet to reach a figure that is sufficient for commercial production.
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On the Bahvest crab hatchery, the breeding methods used are 100 per cent natural. For the three types of crabs, it will be moved to Silam, Lahad Datu for its growth process 25 days after hatching.
The success is attributed to Bahvest CEO Datuk Lo Fui Ming’s hiring of a Korean marine scientist and Japanese expert who successfully developed the method of hatchery.
