Mouthless crab, Cardisoma crassum. (Photo: D. Gordon E. Robertson/CC BY-SA 3.0)
Second period of mangrove and mouthless crab ban begins
ECUADOR
Thursday, August 16, 2018, 02:20 (GMT + 9)
As of Thursday, the second season of the mangrove crab (Ucides occidentalis) and the mouthless crab (Cardisoma crassum) will be held throughout the country, according to the Ministry of Aquaculture and Fisheries.
During the closure, which will be in force from August 15 to September 15, the capture, transport, possession, processing and internal and external commercialization of both species is prohibited.
This second closure period was set by a ministerial agreement of 2004 because of the molting cycle (shell replacement) through which the species goes. In this phase, the crabs secrete calcium oxalate and consuming them would be detrimental both to the reproduction of the crabs and to people’s health.
To control compliance with this regulation, more than 200 fisheries inspectors from the Fisheries Resources Undersecretariat, officials of the Environmental Protection Unit and the National Police will move to national level to carry out control operations in the mangroves, airports, terrestrial terminals, restaurants, markets and collection centres that sell mangrove and mouthless crabs.
With this conservation measure, the Ministry of Aquaculture and Fisheries sets its position and commitment to the conservation of fishing resources and care of the environment.
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