Global status of production and commercialization of soft-shell crabs

Abstract

Commercial exploration of swimming crab is rapidly increasing worldwide. In 2015, total production of crabs (fisheries plus aquaculture) reached almost 1300 thousand tons. One of the most valuable marketing forms is called “soft-shell crab”. The internet is one of the most important marketing channels for soft-shell crab, with prices starting at US$3.5 a unit, but going up to US$8.00–10.00, depending on the size and presentation form of the product (live, cooled, frozen, or processed). In luxury restaurants, a dish containing one large animal may cost well over US$75.00. Increasingly, this market requires exporting companies to present some kind of quality certification of the product or process (mainly certifications related to food safety). Almost all soft-shell crab production is based on crabs caught in the wild, by either trawling or trapping. Crab populations are suffering from environmental impacts associated with human activity, so much that obtaining the raw material (crabs in pre-molt stage) has become the biggest challenge for companies that market soft-shell swimming crab nowadays. Even recognizing the aquaculture as an alternate form to acquire crabs, it is necessary to understand that technology for commercial crab cultivation is still incipient and restricted to some species of few genera, such as Scylla, Portunus, and Callinectes. The present article reviews and discusses the problems and challenges related to the productive chain of soft-shell swimming crab, and presents an overview of the worldwide market, identifying the main exporting and importing centers, and their respective trading methods.