Crab Fishery Resources from Arukkattuthurai to Aiyammpattinam, South East Coast of India

The data on crab landings of our country is essential to know the contribution of crabs to the Indianeconomy, but there is no clear cut intimation on the landings of the crabs from Arukkattuthurai toAiyammpattinam, south east coast of India. So in the present study, it is aimed to assess the fishery resourcesof the six landings from Arukkattuthurai to Aiyammpattinam for a period of one year (from September 2007to August, 2008). There are about 12 commercially important crabs were reported in almost all the stations. Thecrab, C. truncata was less in A rukkattuthurai (301.6 kg), Pointcalimere (331.9 kg) and Aiyammpattinam (392.7kg). However, C. gladiator was available less in M allipattinam (318.9 kg) and Manamelkudi (354.5kg) andC. lucifera in Kattumavadi (333.7 kg). The total contribution of crabs (80,554.34 kg), males (38,542.55 kg),females (30,842.25 kg) and berried females (11,169.59 kg) are maximum in Mallipattinam than other stations.However, Kattumavadi centre standing final place in total male (23,718.27kg), female (17, 960.00 kg), berriedfemale (6,015.296 kg) and total crabs (47, 693.492 kg) landed. The conservation measures for catching young,undersized and berried crabs should be done by educating the fishermen through audiovisual aids. Sea ranchingshould be promoted for over exploited species. And certain regulatory measures and laws should be enforcedlike, fixing legal minimum size and protection of ovigerous crabs. The law breakers should be fined orpunished.