Affiliation:
1. Unity of Upgrading of Fishery and Aquaculture Products (U-VPPA), National Institute of Biological Resources (INRB-IPIMAR), Avenida de Brasília, 1449-006 Lisbon, Portugal
2. Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Largo Prof. Abel Salazar 2, 4099-003 Porto, Portugal and Centre of Marine and Environmental Research of the University of Porto (CIIMAR-UP), R. Bragas, 289, 4050-123 Porto, Portugal
Abstract
Abstract
Barrento, S., Marques, A., Pedro, S., Vaz-Pires, P., and Nunes, M. L. 2008. The trade of live crustaceans in Portugal: space for technological improvements. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 65: 551–559. In Portuguese coastal areas, crabs and lobsters maintained alive until prepared for the table are commercially and economically very important. The trade in live crustaceans, mostly imported animals, is an interlinked and complex chain, from fishing, collection, holding facilities, and transportation, to the end-consumer, the various facilities playing a key role. Along the chain, animals can be affected by several stressors, inducing high mortality with consequent economic loss, and contributing to unsustainable exploitation of the resource. A survey was developed to characterize storage, transportation, and handling issues affecting various crustaceans at Portuguese holding facilities. In all, 22 facilities were identified and categorized by activity and water supply system. Despite the wide variation in their infrastructure, there were no major differences in mortality rate of crustaceans between importers, wholesalers, and exclusively retailers. At all facilities, Necora puber, Cancer pagurus, and Carcinus maenas had higher rates of mortality and shorter duration of captivity than Maja spp., Homarus sp., Panulirus regius, or Palinurus sp. Overall, the main problems identified were technical issues related to careless handling, high animal density, and the varying physiological needs of each species.
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Subject
Ecology,Aquatic Science,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics,Oceanography
Reference41 articles.
1. Study of maintenance conditions of live decapod crustaceans in aquaria of restaurants and local markets from Lisbon area;Araújo,2006
2. Storage and care of live lobsters;Beard;Cefas Laboratory Leaflet,1991
3. Guidelines on aquatic animal welfare for the aquaculture industry in Western Australia;Bennison;Aquaculture Council of Western Australia,2000
4. Physiological stress in decapod crustaceans Munida rugosa and Liocarcinus depurator discarded in the Clyde Nephrops fishery;Bergmann;Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology,2001