MPEDA gets patent for mud crab hatchery technology

KOLKATA: Farmers associated with aquaculture in Bengal have a reason to cheer. Mud crab hatchery technology developed by Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture (RGCA), the research and development arm of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), has been granted a patent by the Union government's Controller General of Patent, Design and TradeMarks. Now, with the hatchery technology receiving the patent, crab culture can also be carried out in hatcheries.

The technology is one-of-its-kind in the country. Traditionally, farmers catch small crabs from the wild, release them in ponds and as they grow in size, they hand them over to the exporters. But, the hatchery technique will reduce dependence on wild, making the process more sustainable.

At least 40 per cent of the mud crab exported from the country is from Bengal with Sunderbans being the major contributor. Mud crabs have high demand in South East Asian countries, where live crabs are preferred as delectable seafood.

MPEDA will hold talks with the state government as well as private entrepreneurs for setting up hatcheries in the state. According to MPEDA, live items worth Rs 19.54 million US dollars have been exported from Kolkata during 2019-20. About 80 per cent of the live items are mud crabs so the export of mud crab has been worth around 15.63 million US dollars. "It will go a long way in meeting the seed requirement of farmers who intend to undertake diversified species for aquaculture instead of concentrating on shrimp farming alone," MPEDA Chairman K.S Srinivas said.

Taking into account that there is no other hatchery for mud crab in India, RGCA had applied for patent rights for the mud crab hatchery technology in 2011 with the Controller General of Patent, Design and TradeMarks. However, after ascertaining the various issues, it was finally decided to grant the patent rights to the hatchery technology of MPEDA–RGCA for 20 years, from 2011 to 2030.