The Ministry of Agriculture has approved the country’s first commercial mud crab fattening project, granting permission to local firm Meritall Private Limited to start operations in GDh. Fiyoaree.
The Ministry explained that the project focuses on harvesting small, thin mud crabs from the island’s “Kulhiye Valhagandey” wetland area. Workers transfer these crabs to specialized facilities, where technicians feed and care for them until they grow heavy enough for commercial sale and export.
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Farmers select crabs weighing between 80 and 550 grams, which usually carry little value because of their low meat content or soft shells. To keep them safe, workers house the crabs in individual plastic boxes or caged water systems. This setup prevents the crabs from attacking or eating each other while their shells harden.
Technicians feed the crabs a daily high-protein diet of small fish and squid, equal to 5 to 10 per cent of their body weight. The process takes just 15 to 40 days. In that short time, the crabs build muscle mass and harden their shells, dramatically boosting their quality and market price.
The Ministry states that by turning low-value crabs into premium seafood within weeks, the government and Meritall Private Limited hope to build a sustainable new aquaculture industry in the southern Maldives.
