How it works: Female crabs carrying eggs are seperated by nets and held until their spawn are released in to the ocean.

HIN LART VILLAGE, Thailand – A few crabs, large nets and a lot of babies add up to booming business and a thriving economy for one seaside village.

The 2004 tsunami not only devastated 11 countries and killed 225,000 people, but it also left a wake of economic disasters that are still affecting people today.

The crab population, for example, in southern Thailand was significantly reduced following the tsunami. Even after Operation Blessing helped fisherman build new boats and start over with all new equipment, there was little to catch.

For those whose livelihoods relied on the crabbing industry, times were even harder and competition was fierce. Some businesses were having a hard time supporting their day-to-day operations, much less their families.

To make matters worse, some fisherman were selling crabs that were ready to spawn.

"I (told them) I won't buy any more crabs from you if they have eggs," said Moosaa, who buys crabs from fisherman and sells them at his local market.

Above: a fisherman displays a female crab with eggs trapped in the net. "The crab bank will greatly benefit our whole community," Moosaa said, "...creating a better business for everyone."

To help remedy the problem, 20 families, spearheaded by Moosaa, joined together and came up with a solution for all 200 crab fishermen in the community – the construction of a crab bank.

A crab bank is a group of holding nets that float on top of the water. When female crabs carrying eggs are trapped in the net, they are then separated from the rest of the catch and deposited in the "crab bank" until their young are born. An adult female crab can carry more than one million eggs.

When the baby crabs are born they are released back to the sea. The crab fishermen then return to collect the adult crabs they deposited and are able to harvest without jeopardizing the next generation.

After visiting a successful model of a crab bank in Southern Thailand, the villagers of Hin Lart were eager to get started but lacked the finances.

That's where Operation Blessing stepped in, donating $5,000 to construct the crab bank.

 "The crab bank will greatly benefit our whole community," Moosaa said. "It is helping to increase the crab population in our area, creating a brighter future for our families and better business for everyone."

Since the completion of construction in October 2007 until February 2008, more than 1,000 crabs were placed in the crab bank. The facility is currently filled with crabs because peak spawning season is March and April.

"The local community has already noticed an increase in the number of baby crabs along the coast," said OBI Thailand representative, Karen Thompson. "The children enjoy catching and releasing the little crabs that have suddenly appeared along the shoreline."

HOW YOU CAN HELP

This microenterprise venture is one of many Operation Blessing projects touching lives around the world. You can be a part of improving the quality of life for impoverished communities by supporting these and other life-changing programs.

 

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