NTOU crab breeding program goes from strength to strength

Crab is a favorite on the menu in the winter. But did you know that crabs are threatened by human disturbances and ecological damage? To address the threat, National Taiwan Ocean University is pursuing a crab breeding project in collaboration with New Taipei City. The program teaches young people aquaculture skills, helping the next generation learn how to support ocean creatures.

An Atlantic blue crab floats gently through the water, surveying its surroundings. But this is not the deep blue sea – it’s a fish tank, and all these crabs are part of a restoration project.

Chang Yung-cheng
NTOU Aquaculture doctorate student
There are two tricky aspects. One is that we’re still acquiring the nutrients needed for its swimming stage. It has a rather long swimming stage, and grows quite big, so it needs a lot of nutriments. The second is, after it has changed state, how to reduce the rate at which they eat each other.

Li Yang
NTOU Aquaculture master’s student
There’s a massive problem with Atlantic blue crabs fighting each other and eating each other. We’re working hard to advance and have a breakthrough on this front. We want to get to the stage where we can mass-cultivate them.

New Taipei City Agriculture Department has worked for six years with faculty and students at National Taiwan Ocean University. The artificial crab breeding program and the cuttlefish program have both had spectacular results.

Prof. Hsu Teh-hua
NTOU Aquaculture Department
We research the breeding and feeding of cuttlefish. We have achieved the first successful breeding of Atlantic blue crabs from young in Taiwan.

Li Min
New Taipei City Agriculture Dept. head
All around the world, we’re facing the problem of young people leaving rural villages. Within this issue, in New Taipei City government we’re working with University Social Responsibility groups, which are open to the young people of universities, not just students but also young scholars.

Crab is a big favorite on Taiwanese menus. In New Taipei, Wanli Crab is especially vital for the seaside economy. But the future of the ocean’s wildlife is not assured. The city wants more young people to devote themselves to restoration projects which will help humans and nature live together in harmony.