Flower crab bank in Thai South

BANGKOK, September 4 (TNA) - Thailand's first flower crab bank has been established in the southern Trang Province for the conservation sake, with the initiative bank expected to be expanded into 10 local communities within next year. Trang Governor Teerayuth Iamtrakul presided over a ceremony to inaugurate the first flower crab bank in Baan Nam Rab of the Bang Sak locality in Kantang District on Wednesday. The project is not only aimed at conserving local aquatic animals, mangrove forests and ecological systems, but it is also aimed at honouring and paying tribute to Their Majesties King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. Under the initiative, local fishermen can leave their flower crabs with fully developed eggs with the bank and claim them for sales after they lay eggs. The bank will keep eggs for 3-5 days until they hatch out and baby crabs will be then released into the sea. One female flower crab normally lays over one million eggs and about 500,000-600,000 baby crabs will hatch out and survive. Flower crabs have grown in number in Trang over the past year, with local households having earned 5,000-7,000 baht monthly each from the animals. Trang authorities plan to open flower crab banks in 10 local communities of four seafront districts within 2013, aimed at raising the amount of flower crabs in the sea off the southern Andaman Thai resort province to 5,000 tons annually in the near future. (TNA)