Inland Crustacean Fisheries

Abstract

Freshwater crustacean inland fisheries are typically confined to small local areas that are associated with bodies of water, like rivers and swamps. They are small-scale fisheries, enough to supply the requirements for local commercial use, and considered mainly as a subsistence resource for small fishing communities. As such, inland crustacean fisheries exemplify a subsistence opportunity for small countries with limited economic power, particularly rural communities. Crustaceans are a relevant protein source alternative to fish, and they are often also associated with local gastronomical and cultural identity. Data for the most commonly caught species are often unavailable since these fisheries exist in remote areas where government or institutional monitoring is limited, making it difficult to obtain reliable data about small-scale fisheries. Nonetheless, the captured species and the techniques used are widely diverse. In inland fisheries, the main target species are prawns from the genus Macrobrachium, gathered within the tropics all over the world. Natural fisheries of crayfishes in their native range exist on several continents, with Procambarus clarkii, Pacifastacus leniusculus, and Astacus astacus as the main commercial species. Some of them have also become a fisheries resource in areas where they were introduced. The only terrestrial crab fishery is for an anomuran, the coconut crab Birgus latro. The future of most of these fisheries depends in part on the health of the water sources threatened by contamination and unrestricted waterways jeopardized by the construction of dam-like structures that block the migration of some species to complete their reproductive cycles. The creation of regulatory policies is key for keeping the fishery activity self-sustainable because most of the exploitation depends on wild populations. There are some conservation efforts implemented thanks to the relevant gastronomical value of the species, as well as to economically sustain local communities in remote areas.