Chennai-based ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIBA), Chennai, has successfully reared and harvested Blue Swimmer Crab (Portunus reticulatus) for the first time in the country. It was achieved using institute-produced hatchery seed and a scientifically formulated pellet feed developed by ICAR-CIBA.

Kuldeep Kumar Lal, Director, ICAR-CIBA, said the institute had successfully standardised a comprehensive technology package for Blue Swimmer Crab aquaculture. The package includes advanced hatchery seed production protocols, a specialized formulated feed branded as BSCrabPlus, and optimized nursery and grow-out farming practices.

The technology offers a promising new opportunity for farmers seeking profitable alternatives and complements to existing shrimp farming systems.

“Blue Swimmer Crab can be cultured successfully within a relatively short production cycle, comparable to shrimp farming. With lower levels of cannibalism than many other brackishwater crab species and strong domestic as well as international market demand, this technology presents a highly viable and sustainable option for aquaculture diversification,” Dr. Lal said.

In the demonstration trial, Blue Swimmer Crab seed was stocked at a density of one crab per square metre and fed with ICAR-CIBA’s nutritionally balanced formulated feed. After a culture period of 105 days, the harvest yielded a productivity of 1,100 kg per hectare, with marketable crabs averaging 150 grams in body weight. The harvested crabs fetched an attractive market price of ₹500 per kilogram, highlighting the strong commercial potential of the technology.

A harvest function was organized at the ICAR-CIBA Muttukadu Experimental Station on June 22, to showcase the performance of the farming system. During the event, revenue amounting to ₹1,22,500 was handed over to the beneficiaries, Success Self-Help Group, Pudhunemmelikuppam, Chengalpattu district who were involved in the demonstration under the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan (SCSP) programme.

S. Kandan, Director, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture (RGCA), Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), who attended the harvest said technologies developed by research institutions such as ICAR-CIBA could be effectively transferred to farmers through RGCA under MPEDA.