ORANI, Bataan- Fishpond owners in Bataan and Pampanga and those involved in the crab business on Tuesday reacted skeptically after the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources urged the public not to eat female crabs to increase the crustacean’s population.
“Mamamatay ang negosyo namin dahil cultured ang alimango namin” said fishpond owner Danilo Guerrero of Abucay, Bataan. He said that there are no “semilya” of crabs in Bataan so they have to order from Bicol and Aparri, Cagayan. “Mahal ang semilya na kapag hindi hinuli ang babae, malulugi,” said Francisco Sonio of the “consignacion” in Orani, Bataan.
Guerrero said the crabs have to be harvested in six months before the female crabs have their “puga” or eggs in seven months. Pampanga fishpond owner Ador Cruz, fi shpond caretaker Luisito Silvestre, Sonio and another consignacion official Warren Manalansan said that crabs with puga can be sold for only P30 to P70 a piece as compared to those without puga at P400 to P700. “Walang laman ang may puga na,” they said.
Manalansan and Silvestre said the plan of BFAR has no effect. “Kapag sobrang taba ng babaing alimango at nagkaroon ng puga, sa loob ng walong buwan mamamatay rin ito sa palaisdaan kapag hindi inani,” they said.
“Mahihinto ang negosyo namin kapag pinahinto ang paghuli ng babaing alimango,”said businesswoman Sally Lato.
Guerrero, Cruz, Silvestre, Sonio and Manalansan were one in saying that crabs do not hatch eggs inside fishponds.
“Dapat pawalan sa laot, sa dagat ,” they said. On the so-called “baklang alimango,” they said that this is identifiable as such in two to three months. “Nagiging babae rin ito matapos magpalit ng balat pagsapit ng anim hanggang walong buwan,” they said.
Crabs sourced from fishponds in Pampanga and Bataan supplied to various markets in Bataan, Metro Manila and for exports pass through the Orani consignacion. Sonio said they used to have an average daily produce of six tons of crabs but this went down to four tons because of the effect of habagat the past months.
