The Crab Council is a coalition of U.S. seafood companies focused on crab sustainability. This regular newsletter contains recent information on FIP updates and sustainability progress including:
- Crab Council Summer Working Group
- BSC Larval Study Meeting
- BSC Receives Indonesian Development Status
- Government and Community Coordination
Crab Council Summer Working Group
In early June, the Crab Council held its first Summer Working Group at Phillips in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. 18 participants representing 10 companies participated in a full day and a half schedule centering on a discussion of the NFI Crab Council FIP review. The resulting dialogue called for a refocusing of the council’s FIP efforts in larger countries like Indonesia and the Philippines on specific Units of Assessment (U of A’s.). Under the new protocol, one or two of the U of A’s would be chosen for targeted FIP work over the next 3 years. Progress in the designated U of A would be measured by an increase in SPR with a goal of 30% or higher as the target.
In addition, participants were led on a tour of the adjacent Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology learning about the technical aspects of indoor aquaculture and crab hatchery enhancement.
BSC Harvest Strategy Meeting
A BSC stakeholder meeting was held in Bogor in May for a discussion on Harvest Strategy. A presentation of the Diponegoro University’s BSC larval survey was also made.
The presented research concluded that the current spawning potential ratio (SPR) of WPPNRI 712 (Java Sea) is 20% with yellow to red status. The resulting discussion set as a goal an increased SPR of 30% within a period of five years.
BSC Receives Indonesian Development Status
In 2020, blue swimming crab will be added to the Government of Indonesia’s list of commodities for further development and management under the National Medium Term Development Plan (RPJMN) 2020-2024.
The status designates BSC as the focus of strengthened management capacity and the development of production centers for competitive fisheries
Government and Community Coordination
Coordination among regulators is central to fisheries management. On 17th June, Dr. Ghofar met with Dr. Agus Suherman, the Acting Director General of MCS (PSDKP, Bahasa) of MMAF and the Head of the Provincial Marine Fisheries Office of Central Java seeking their support for the enforcement of existing regulations on minimum harvest size and trawl ban. The meeting included a field visit to a BSC site at Betahwalang Village in Central Java.
The meeting and fishery tour proved fruitful with agreements to better communication between the Province of Central Java, Demak District and University of Diponegoro on enacting BSC regulation compliance.
During the meeting, DG PSDKP provided official guidance for practical BSC conservation area management, including the use of information obtained during landings at sea. Arrangements are also being made by DG PSDKP to provide a small patrol boat for use by the village BSC management group to safeguard the BSC fishery.
