SEAFDEC/AQD Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center | Aquaculture Department
By Development Communication Section
Due to the increasing demand of soft-shell crabs in the market, AQD conducted a specialized course on ‘soft-shell crab farming’ as requested by US-based physician Mr. Virgil Frando, from 16 to 21 March 2015 at AQD’s Tigbauan Main Station and Dumangas Brackishwater Station in Iloilo.
Together with Mr. Virgil Frando, a medical doctor of Health South Rehabilitation Hospital in Wichita Falls, Texas, are his brother, businessman Mr. Pedro Frando and first cousin, retired military Mr. Leonardo Grabador – both from Sorsogon.
The course aims to provide the participants with technical knowledge and skills in soft-shell crab production and management. The trainees attend lectures ranging from mangrove crab’s (mud crab) biology to nursery & hatchery management and from industry overview to economic evaluation & marketing. The course also includes a series of practical hands-on sessions on installation of net cages, pond preparation, stocking, monitoring of water parameters, feeding and water management and crab sampling.
This is the second time for AQD to conduct a course in soft-shell crab farming; the first one was requested by Santeh Feeds Corporation last January.
![The trainees attending the lectures on biology of mangrove crab (mud crab) by Dr. Fe Dolores Estepa at the training section in Tigbauan Main Station [top] and grow-out culture of mangrove crabs (mud crabs) & soft-shell crab farming by Dr. Emilia Quinitio at the Dumangas Brackishwater Station [above].](http://www.seafdec.org.ph/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/soft-shell1-wc.jpg)
