The crab industry in the country has collapsed due to the cessation of crab exports due to the global novel coronavirus. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the purchase order of crabs has been stopped one by one.
The export of crabs was suddenly stopped from June 26. The small crab traders of the country in Mongla and Bagerhat and other places are in trouble.
According to the District Fisheries Office, there are 3,748 crab farmers in Bagerhat. And there are 3,778 crab enclosures in 1,410 hectares of land.
These produced 2,629 metric tons of crabs in the 2018-19 financial year. About 85% of the crabs produced in the country are exported to China. And a small amount of crabs go to Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore. An average of 200 tons of crabs is exported from Bagerhat every month.
In the current situation, 50,000 traders, fishermen and workers involved in the industry in the district have been affected following Coronavirus spread.
Bidyut Kumar, president of Mongla's crab trader industry, told Bangladesh Post that small crab traders were in trouble due to the sudden closure of exports.
Millions of taka worth of crabs has been shipped from Mongla to the company, after which dead crabs were returned. He claimed that the crabs had been killed and sent back to the traders as the company planned not to pay any price.
Bayazid Islam, a crab trader from Digraj, told Bangladesh Post that 70 per cent of the crabs in the area have died and are leaving due to the suspension of exports. And whatever is there will die if the sale is stopped for a few days.
In this situation, the government has to come forward to save the crab industry. Crab farmers and traders called for opening new markets for the crab industry, including providing financial assistance to traders and farmers.