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Beyond Blue Carbon

Cultural importance of crab catching fosters mangrove conservation in Ecuador

By Blue Forests Project

September 18^th, 2018

by Maria Belen Vallejo

Beyond its productive value, Ecuador’s mangroves have fostered a culture around crab which nowadays has become an important part of its national identity. This culture is based, on the one hand, on ancestral tradition of artisanal fishing and on the other hand, on the consumption of crabs as one of the country’s most popular and traditional dishes, especially for coastal populations.

The art of crab catching has been passed down from one generation to the next. Crab collectors, known as “cangrejeros” learn from their male relatives and become experts by thrusting their arm into deep holes in the mud using hooks to catch the crustacean. "I've dedicated my whole life to catching crab. Since I was little, I learned it from my father and although I do have a university degree, I still do crab collection with my frinds because we enjoy it”, says Alonso Mejillones, a crab collector from the Nuevo Porvenir Fisher Associataion in Guayas.

hunting for crabs // © Diana Troya CC BY Flickr 2.0

The love for crabs has helped to foster mangrove conservation efforts. Fishermen have realized that fisheries will exist longer when protecting mangroves and complying with fishery regulations .

Men ready to catch crabs and shells // © Diana Troya CC BY Flickr 2.0

Ecuadorian "mud crab catchers" // © Diana Troya CC BY Flickr 2.0

Manglares, medios de vida // © Daniela Hill CC BY Flickr 2.0

There are two main species of crab in Ecuador, the red crab (Ucides Occidentalis), and the blue crab (Cardisoma crissum). Local people from Guayas province, located at the southern coast of Ecuador, will definitively prefer the red crab; locally known as Guariche. However, in Esmeraldas people would choose the blue crab. Each of them has become an important cultural symbol for which local communities are proud of.

In Esmeraldas, blue crab is a luxury delicacy. “Encocado”, a traditional dish, is usually prepared with coconut sauce, and served with rice and plantain. John Dueñas, a cab driver from Esmeraldas says “My sister likes crab very much, to eat it she washes them well, she cooks them and then carefully she takes out the meat from the legs, pincers and shell. She puts it together with rice and eats it mixed. It takes time and it's expensive however it's delicious. They eat it with my dad who has the patience to do all the work, and together they can eat about 6 to 8 crabs a day.”

crab preparation // © Daniela Hill CC BY Flickr 2.0

Since 2009, the Crab Festival of the Coast has been held every year, which brings together thousands of people dedicated to the capture and sale of crabs. Their objective is to educate people in the search and collection process of these crustaceans. One of the most popular restaurants would only serve crab dishes such as the “Pata Gorda” (the Big Paw), a very famous restaurant in Guayaquil City. Anywhere in Ecuador, consuming crabs is not only a choice of food, but also reason for people to get together.