Mohd Idham holds up horseshoe crabs bred at the centre. —Bernama photo
KOTA TINGGI (March 1): Horseshoe crab, which is a popular seafood dish in the district, is also in high demand from seafood enthusiasts in neighbouring Thailand.
The supervisor of the Sedili Kecil Horseshoe Crab Hatchery and Breeding Centre, Mohd Khairul Idham Ahmad, said he estimated that 48,000 horseshoe crabs were exported to Thailand every year, making the country its main export destination.
“Horseshoe crab is also the main food of the Thai community, and we export it to customers in Bangkok who supply it to other places.
“Due to high demand, sometimes we don’t have enough for export,” he told Bernama when met recently.
Based on the current price in the local market, Mohd Khairul said, horseshoe crabs are sold between RM15 and RM40 each depending on the grade.
Following the high demand from Thailand, it is concentrating on meeting the demand from the neighbouring country.
“There is less demand from restaurants here and from the beginning, horseshoe crabs have been meant for export to Thailand.
“Due to the high demand, sometimes we don’t have enough to export but if people want to buy on a walk-in basis, they can do so,” he said.
The exported crabs, he said, were bought from fishermen as well as reared and hatched at hatcheries to be released back into the sea under a conservation project started in 2011.
An estimated 60,000 to 80,000 baby horseshoe crabs are released into the sea after reaching the age of one and two years.
“This hatchery is for conservation purposes to ensure that the horseshoe crab continues to breed. This is for fishermen in Sedili Kecil because horseshoe crabs are one of their main sources of income,” he said. — Bernama
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