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In addition to news, interviews and media advisories, the FAO News and Media office is now distributing real-life stories of farmers, pastoralists, fisher folks, indigenous peoples, forest dwellers and others in the sector. These stories reflect how their livelihoods are being affected by the various global challenges and how their hope and resilience, together with the support of partners like FAO, have brought about changes in the global fight against hunger and poverty. These are the stories of real-life food heroes. This is agri-food systems transformation in action.
News agencies and media outlets are welcome to reproduce and reuse these stories and related photos with proper credit given. A link back to the original story is also appreciated.
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From invasive species to prized export
The evolution of blue crab fisheries and the livelihoods of Tunisian fishers
"It eats everything, leaves nothing and reproduces very quickly," laments Mouradh, a fisherman from the Tunisian islands of Kerkennah. For the country’s fishers, the blue crabs that were being hauled
out of the water, tangled up in their broken nets, were a disaster.
An invasive species introduced into the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal, the blue crab threatened the artisanal fishing techniques used along the Tunisian coastline, specifically damaging the gillnets
and traps used in the Charfia (a traditional, fixed fishery system that blocks the path of fish and leads them to traps). With their sharp shells and claws, blue crabs ruin these fishing nets and feed on other fish species also caught in the nets or traps.
Blue crabs were first found off the Tunisian coast in 1993. By 2014, they began proliferating massively, causing significant damage to the coastal artisanal fishing sector, especially in the Gulf of Gabès
in southeast Tunisia, where, during the high season, the blue crab represented more than 70 percent of the catch off this Mediterranean gulf.
Not all bad
At the same time, this blue crab is the fifth most popular crab in the world market. It is especially sought out in the Asian, United States and Australian markets where it is featured on the menus of
many restaurants.
Seeing the potential of turning this foe into a friend, FAO and the Tunisian government launched training sessions for the fishers in this region. Through the "Strengthening Governance and Development
of Fisheries in Tunisia" project, FAO trained 90 fishers in Djerba, Gabès and Kerkennah.
Fishers received information sessions on the benefits of the blue crab and 1 500 multipurpose traps to allow them to catch the crab more easily. During FAO’s practical, hands-on training sessions, the
fishers were able to compare the effectiveness of these large, mesh net traps against the traditional cylindrical crab pots.
Turn a catastrophe into an opportunity
Beyond the advancement of fishing techniques in Tunisia, FAO has assisted the government in developing a complete value chain within this niche market. Good governance of fishing, that allows fishers
to catch crabs of good quality while respecting the environment, has facilitated the marketing of the blue crab locally and internationally.
The first blue crab processing and marketing plant for the Asian market, created by the government in 2019 in the Kerkennah islands, triggered a mini economic boom in the area with 50 new jobs for plant
technicians.
Valerio Crespi, FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Officer explains, "This successful plant not only allowed fishers to diversify their sources of income, it also added value to an invasive species.”
The exports of blue crab during the month of May 2021 rose significantly, reaching 2 090.9 tons with a value of USD 7.2 million (about 19.6 million Tunisian dinars), while exports for the same period
in 2020 was 796.1 tons with a value of USD 3.1 million (or 8.6 million dinars).
Private sector investments in blue crab processing plants have gone from simple packaging and freezing raw crabs to preparing cooked products in order to expand to markets in Asia, Italy, Spain and the
Americas. Some food manufacturing plants in Zarzis are considering including cooked crab as one of their products to enter other markets. In fact, even in Tunisia where crab has never been a traditional dish or ingredient in cooking, this product is starting
to appear on local menus due to its new availability in markets.
Though the consumption of fisheries’ products decreased during the pandemic period, fishers in the Gulf of Gabès are grateful that FAO assisted in turning an invasive species into a lucrative business
and diversifying their income sources and economic opportunities.
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The original story and related photos can be found at: https://www.fao.org/fao-stories/article/en/c/1443166/ |
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This email was issued by the Media Office at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
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