Blue swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus) catch and fishing effort: Perspective of crabbers in the northern Catanduanes, Philippines

Paper Details

Research Paper 05/09/2024
Views (876)
current_issue_feature_image
publication_file

Blue swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus) catch and fishing effort: Perspective of crabbers in the northern Catanduanes, Philippines

Recie B. Bonaos, Jozem Niňo I. Morales
J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. 25(3), 23-29, September 2024.
Copyright Statement: Copyright 2024; The Author(s).
License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Abstract

Crab fishermen in Northern Catanduanes primarily rely on crab fishing for income. This study focused on the perspectives of crab fishermen in Northern Catanduanes regarding the catch and effort of blue swimming crab from February to May 2023. Results showed that crab fishers with an age range of 19–75 years old and an average of 12.5 years of crabbing used three fishing gears: a bottom-set gill net (BSGN), a crab pot (CP), and a crab lift net (CLN). The catch composition of BSGN in Northern Catanduanes showed that 56.89% were blue swimming crabs, with 43.11% being by-catch species including parrot fish, mullet, lobster, siganids, and others. In contrast, the catch composition of Crab Pots (CP) was 61.67% blue swimming crabs and 38.33% by-catch, including shrimp, lobster, prawns, and other fish. However, the catch composition in CLN showed a lower proportion of target catch (37.50%) compared to by-catch. The peak fishing season for most municipalities occurred between May and July, which coincides with Habagat, while the lean season varied from October to February. The catch per unit effort (CPUE) of the BSGN ranged from 0.20-0.46 kg/segment/hour, which was higher in contrast to the CPUE of CP (0.01-0.11 kg/cp/hour) and CLN (0.04-0.20 kg/liftnet/hour). An estimated annual production of BSC in Northern Catanduanes was recorded at 697.21 metric tons during the peak season and 119.47 metric tons during the lean season. Therefore, the BSC fisheries are threatened, and preventative steps are needed, including reducing fishing pressure, practicing single-ply nets with larger mesh sizes, finding alternate sources of income, and raising awareness through campaigns like IEC materials.

BFAR. 2013. The Philippine blue swimming crab management plan. Retrieved from http://www.bfar.da.gov.ph/pages/announcements/1Final%20Approved%20Version%20BSCMP%20January%2024%202013.pdf

Camacho AS, Aypa SM. 2001. Research needs and data on production of portunid crabs in the Philippines. Asian Fisheries Science 14(2), 243-245.

DA-BFAR. 2013. The Philippine Blue Swimming Crab Management Plan. Retrieved from https://www.bfar.da.gov.ph/new/announcement_archive/1Final%20Approved%20Version%20BSCMP%20January%2024%202013.pdf

De la Cruz MT, De la Cruz JO, Tan IL, Ruizo EK. 2015. The blue swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus) fishery of Eastern Visayas, Philippines. UPV Journal of National Science 20(1), 25-45.

Germano BP, Melgo JF. 2003. The population, reproductive, and fishery biology of the blue crab, Portunus pelagicus in Leyte and Samar and management implications. UPV Journal of Natural Science 8, 63-82.

Ingles JA. 2004. Status of blue crab fisheries in the Philippines, p 47-52. In DA-BFAR In turbulent seas: The status of Philippine marine fisheries. Coastal Resource Management Project, Cebu City, Philippines, 378p.

Kailola PJ, Williams MJ, Stewart PC, Mcnee A, Grieve C. 1993. Australian fisheries resources. Bureau of Resource Sciences, Department of Primary Industries and Energy, and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, Canberra, Australia, 422p.

Macale AMB, Nieves PM. 2019. Stakeholders’ perception on the status of blue swimming crabs Portunus pelagicus (Linnaeus, 1758) and performance of lying-in hatchery concept in San Miguel Bay, Philippines. AACL Bioflux 12(2), 413-416.

Nieves PM, De Jesus S, Guiriba MAB, Macale AMB, Belen S, Corral G. 2013. Capture fisheries assessment of commercially important marine crabs in Sorsogon Bay and San Miguel Bay. Kuroshio Science 7(1), 59-67.

Philippine Statistics Authority. 2014-2023. OpenStat. Retrieved from https://openstat.psa.gov.ph

PSA. 2019. Per Capita: Gross National Income, Gross Domestic Product, and Household Final Consumption Expenditure. Retrieved April 2018 from http://psa.gov.ph/nap-press-release/sector3/Per%20Capita%20GNI

Yap EES. 2020. Global sustainable supply chains for marine commodities: Root cause analysis and development of the national management plan for the blue swimming crab marine commodity (GMC: BSC) blue swimming crab national management plan: A national framework for the management of the Philippine blue swimming crab fisheries (3rd Draft). Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. Retrieved from https://www.bfar.da.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Blue-Swimming-Crabs-National-Management-Plan.pdf

Related Articles

Agroforestry in woody-encroached Sub-Saharan savannas: Transforming ecological challenges into sustainable opportunities

Yao Anicet Gervais Kouamé, Pabo Quévin Oula, Kouamé Fulgence Koffi, Ollo Sib, Adama Bakayoko, Karidia Traoré, J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. 27(3), 10-22, September 2025.

Extreme rainfall variability and trends in the district of Ouedeme, municipality of Glazoue (Benin)

Koumassi Dègla Hervé, J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. 27(3), 1-9, September 2025.

Heterosis breeding, general and specific combining ability and stability studies in pearl millet: Current trends

Ram Avtar, Krishan Pal, Kavita Rani, Rohit Kumar Tiwari, Mahendra Kumar Yadav, J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. 27(2), 117-124, August 2025.

Combining ability, heterosis and stability for yield and fibre quality traits in cotton: Breeding approaches and future prospects

Rohit Kumar Tiwari, Krishan Pal, R. P. Saharan, Ram Avtar, Mahendra Kumar Yadav, J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. 27(2), 109-116, August 2025.

Bridging the COPD awareness gap in marginalized populations: Findings from a multicentre study in Khalilabad, Sant Kabir Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India

Anupam Pati Tripathi, Jigyasa Pandey, Sakshi Singh, Smita Pathak, Dinesh Chaudhary, Alfiya Mashii, Farheen Fatima, J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. 27(2), 97-108, August 2025.

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of Pleurotus citrinopileatus Singer and Pleurotus sajor-caju (Fr.) Singer

P. Maheswari, P. Madhanraj, V. Ambikapathy, P. Prakash, A. Panneerselvam, J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. 27(2), 90-96, August 2025.

Mangrove abundance, diversity, and productivity in effluent-rich estuarine portion of Butuanon River, Mandaue City, Cebu

John Michael B. Genterolizo, Miguelito A. Ruelan, Laarlyn N. Abalos, Kathleen Kay M. Buendia, J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. 27(2), 77-89, August 2025.

Cytogenetic and pathological investigations in maize × teosinte hybrids: Chromosome behaviour, spore identification, and inheritance of maydis leaf blight resistance

Krishan Pal, Ravi Kishan Soni, Devraj, Rohit Kumar Tiwari, Ram Avtar, J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. 27(2), 70-76, August 2025.