Crabs are the second most promising fish resource exported abroad after shrimps on the coast of the world's largest mangrove forest area in the southwestern region, known as the world heritage fishery reserve. Bagerhat is one of the districts in the country where crabs are produced. Crabs can survive for up to six hours without water. Crabs are less susceptible to disease and die less often. But once the disease spreads in the shrimp enclosure, all of them die. Therefore, many people have become interested in crab farming instead of shrimp because it is profitable. Crab farming and exportation has been going on commercially in this district since 2014. 

 

About three thousand metric tons of crabs are produced here annually. A significant amount of it is exported to different countries of the world.

Of this, 567 metric tons of soft shell crab were exported in the 2019-20 fiscal year, worth $6.735 million. In the 2020-21 fiscal year, 518 metric tons of crab were exported, worth $6.951 million. In 2021-22, 802 metric tons were exported, worth $1.165 million, and in 2022-23, 622 metric tons were exported, worth $8.698 million. In the 2023-24 fiscal year, 873 metric tons of crab were exported, worth $1.998 million. In the 2024-25 fiscal year, 981 metric tons of crab were produced, worth $1.2 million.

Those concerned said that in order to earn foreign exchange, the process of producing crab fry in government and private hatcheries is underway to reduce dependence on the Sundarbans. Along with shrimp farming in brackish water in the coastal areas of the Sundarbans in Satkhira, farmers are showing increasing interest in softshell crab farming.

Thousands of softshell crab farms have been established in coastal areas depending on the Sundarbans. However, due to the conservation of the Sundarbans' biodiversity and the crab breeding season, the farmers are in trouble as the Sundarbans is closed for crab harvesting for more than 5 months every year.

Crab farming is carried out on 320 hectares of land in Morelganj, Bagerhat, adjacent to the Sundarbans of the district. Two thousand metric tons of soft-cell crabs and hard-cell crabs were produced there in the last fiscal year. Of this, live hard-cell crabs and soft-cell crabs are exported abroad, earning a lot of foreign exchange.
To sustain the crab industry, farmers are demanding that the dependence on the Sundarbans be reduced and alternative sources of crab fry be provided at low prices, while also ensuring fair prices.

They said that they are getting more profit by cultivating crabs on a small land. Crab farming has brought success to their family. They are able to educate their children well. That is why they are more interested in crab farming.
Noting that poor people are involved in crab farming, Bagerhat District Fisheries Officer Raj Kumar Biswas said that in order to earn foreign exchange, crab fry production is being carried out in government and private hatcheries, reducing dependence on the Sundarbans. On the one hand, this will earn foreign exchange and increase employment.

According to the District Fisheries Office, 622.05 metric tons of crabs have been exported from the southern region in the current fiscal year. The price of which is 79.6 million taka. Of this, 198 metric tons were collected from the rivers and canals of the Sundarbans. The remaining 358 metric tons are cultivated. Crabs are exported to various countries including China, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia and the Netherlands. There are 3,778 crab farms in 1,150 hectares of land in 7 upazilas of the district. The production is about 3,000 metric tons. Female (female) crabs are sold for 1,400 to 1,600 taka per kg. And males (males) are sold for 1,200 to 1,300 taka.

According to the Export Promotion Bureau, crab exports amounted to 13.74 million US dollars from July to June of the 2024-25 fiscal year. In the same period (July-June) of the 2023-24 fiscal year, exports were 9.24 million US dollars, a growth of 48.70 percent over the previous year. In June of this year alone, exports amounted to 1.57 million US dollars. Abdus Sattar, a crab farmer in the Munshiganj area of Shyamnagar, said, "We suffer a lot of damage here due to storms and floods. So we always have an economic risk. Shrimp fry have low tolerance to salinity and they die due to virus attacks in the fry. So I have been farming crabs for a few years. He added that it is relatively profitable and I am farming white fish in ponds along with crabs, so that I can also make some financial profit from it."

Farmers and traders said that within three months, male and female crabs are exportable. Crabs do not die in cold weather and summer heat. Due to high profits in a short time, crab farming has expanded in the greater Khulna region adjacent to the Sundarbans. An average of $400,000 worth of crabs are being exported every year.


Milan Kumar Biswas, a crab farmer from Kumlai village in Rampal upazila, said, "I have been cultivating crabs for about twenty years. I had to face losses due to damage to the enclosures due to Cyclone Amphan and the two-year ban on exports due to COVID-19. This time, I have been able to overcome the crisis."

Shukur Ali of Baintala village said, "At one time, I relied on shrimp farming. But I had to face losses due to the virus. Then I started crab farming. Since there are no diseases, crab farming can be profitable in a short time. Like Bagda shrimp, crab can be cultivated in coastal saltwater."

Bagerhat District Fisheries Officer Raj Kumar Biswas said, "More than 30 percent of the total export of crabs is produced in Bagerhat. There are various festivals in China during these three months, December-February. During this time, a large amount of crabs are exported there. Many people faced losses due to the suspension of exports during the Corona period. They have been given various suggestions including incentives."