How are adult crabs caught and transported? Detailed explanation of the technical points

The crab catching methods and transport techniques are described below:

1. Flowing-water catching method: this is exactly the season of reproductive migration for river crabs, and the vast majority of river crabs leave their burrows and move about in the pond. Set up a lift net or trap at the outlet of the crab pond, then slowly drain the pond water, and large numbers of river crabs can be caught in the net or trap.

2. Light trapping method: pump out a certain amount of pond water to keep a water depth of about 30 cm; at night, when river crabs come ashore in large numbers, set lamps at the four corners of the pond with a vat buried under each lamp, and the light attracts them so that the crabs fall into the vat.

3. Bamboo crab-nest catching method: use moso bamboo 9-10 cm in diameter, cut into sections 1 m long, knock out the bamboo nodes and make them smooth, then tie every 7-9 sections into a bundle, tied tightly, with the binding rope of each bundle extending ashore for pulling them up. When setting them out, place the moso bamboo evenly on the pond bottom at a certain spacing, fix them with small bamboo pegs and mark the position of each crab nest. Taking advantage of the river crab's habit of hiding in burrows during the day, the bundles can be pulled up at any time and the river crabs lurking inside shaken out.

For catching adult crabs, apart from some being sold locally, the vast majority of @#@235@#@ households have to transport the adult crabs elsewhere for sale, and whether the transport method is appropriate is closely related to the survival rate of the adult crabs. The following technical points must be mastered in detail:

1. Strict grading: for river crabs harvested or purchased, "four separations" must be carried out. First, large and small must be separated, and they must not be mixed, otherwise small crabs easily die; second, strong and weak must be separated, as crabs with thick, sturdy shells and legs have strong vitality and are suitable for longer storage and transport; third, healthy and injured must be separated, as those missing legs are only suitable for local sale or short-distance transport; fourth, fat and lean must be separated.

2. Do a good job of packaging: after the river crabs are graded, packaging must be done carefully in preparation for transport. For short-distance transport the packaging can be simpler. For long-distance transport, at present most are packed in baskets or cages; the basket is first lined with a cattail bag, then the river crabs are loaded in, and every effort should be made to lay the river crabs flat, fill the basket, cover it and tie it tightly so that the river crabs cannot crawl about, otherwise they are easily damaged and lose legs. Each basket holds 15-25 kg.

3. Timely transport: the packaged river crabs must be transported promptly, and the time must not be dragged out too long; under normal circumstances there are fewer deaths within 3-5 days, but after more than 5 days the deaths gradually increase.

4. Strengthen management: during transport, prevent exposure to sun, wind and rain, and especially guard against high temperatures. For this reason, transport vehicles and boats should have a canopy cover, and if the time is too long, water should be sprinkled on them to lower the temperature. For long-distance transport, if conditions permit, cooling measures can be taken to induce hibernation, which can greatly increase the survival rate.