Outreach and Engagement
The blue swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus) is an ecologically and economically important species in Thailand, supporting coastal fisheries and domestic and export markets.
In response to declining crab populations, Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya (RUTS) launched the RUTS Crab Bank Project as part of a national effort to restore marine resources. Supported by the National Research Council of Thailand and the Ministry of Science and Technology, the project promotes community participation, collaboration among stakeholders, crab stock conservation, and sustainable fishing practices among local fishers.
The project offers three main benefits: conserving blue swimming crab populations and promoting sustainable fisheries management, raising local fishers’ awareness of their role in fisheries conservation, and providing an additional source of income by allowing fishers to sell female crabs after spawning.
Established in 2018, the Blue Swimming Crab Bank Project promotes sustainable crab fisheries, raises fishers’ awareness of resource management, and provides an additional source of income.
The project now operates 77 crab banks and learning centers across 54 communities in nine districts of Trang, Satun, and Krabi provinces. Local fishers manage the centers as volunteers, temporarily holding gravid female crabs in blue containers until they release their larvae into coastal waters. The females are then sold to generate income and support the continued operation of the project. This approach helps replenish natural crab populations while supporting local livelihoods.
As a result of the success of the RUTS Crab Bank Project, the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) held an award ceremony to recognize the personnel who contributed to the success of the “Blue Swimming Crab Bank: Returning Blue Swimming Crabs to Thai Seas” initiative. The RUTS Crab Bank Project received the Outstanding Excellence Award for 2025.
Related Links:
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