Mud Crab Fisheries in the Sundarbans Area, Bangladesh: A Potential Livelihood of the Vulnerable Coastal Communities

This chapter describes the present status and future possibilities of engagement of coastal communities in the mud crab fishery. Mud crab is one of the leading fisheries products and ranked third among fisheries commodity exports from Bangladesh. Among the exported crabs, 60% is coming from the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans. The country earns about US$ 45 million by exporting about 10,000MT of live mud crab. The coastal zone constitutes 32% of the country area and >80% coastal area is suitable for brackish water aquaculture. Though shrimp is the primary coastal aquaculture product, massive disease outbreaks threaten the production and livelihoods of producers. A shift to mud crab culture thus is an opportunity for marginalized farmers to avoid the risks of shrimp farming. Crab farming could become the leading alternative livelihood option for the coastal population. Additionally, while the last few coastal disasters (like SIDR, AILA) had devastating impacts on coastal ecosystems and significantly changed livelihood patterns of coastal communities, the many areas that are still waterlogged can easily be converted to mud crab aquaculture. If the country can disseminate modern farming techniques and can provoke local communities, the mud crab industry can flourish fast and can compete with shrimp for the highest-ranking fisheries commodity to export.