Mud Crab Claws by the bucketfull

[blackrat1]

just returned from Florida and it coincided with their Stone Crab season ...They are very similar to our muddies . They have around 3 months of crabbing and it an all in affair .. The beauty of this fishery is that they dont kill the crab , they only take the claws .. I was told only one claw from each crab buy a few people and both by others so im not 100% which was right .Every year they regrow their claws .. there are millions of these crabs because of this rule .. and probably a very healthy estuary because of all the mobile filters (crabs) How do you all think that would go in Australia . Lets be real here ,, the claws are the best bits
Vic

[netmaker]

obviously a more sustainable fishery. have thought the same thing before. how many muddies would we have in the creeks if only claws were taken - probably heaps of them. reminds me of a joke - the farmer with the 3 legged pig when asked what happened to the missing leg replied that as it was a family pet they loved they couldn't kill it when christmas came around.......
cheers
davo

[dnej]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juGYkIThv4o

There you go. Appears to be both claws.
David

[Noelm]

I guess it would depend on how a carb could feed with no claws (nippers) sure some might be able to forage about and get stuff to eat, but could a thousand? million? nipperless crabs survive?? mind you, they have a lot more chance of surviving with no nippers then being tossed in a pot of boiling water hey! but like all things "green" and "eco friendly" it would need some in depth info before it was introduced, or going by our Governments past efforts, either dismissed altogether, or made law over night without any reliable data, but it is something to ponder I reckon.