Projects

Working with the FAO and a small steering committee, organised and ran a workshop in Singapore in late 2023, bringing together over 20 experts from 12 mud crab producing countries to review both the status and future needs of the sector. The proceedings will be published in 2024.

Designed, constructed, commissioned, and operated a mud crab hatchery in Kosrae, Micronesia. This included farming of mud crabs in mangrove pens and ponds. Included training in post-harvest and packing of crabs and training of local staff in mud crab hatchery and nursery technology.

Led a team of specialists that scoped the need for and then designed a multi-species hatchery complex in Zanzibar that included mud crab, milkfish, and sea cucumber components.

Reviewed the existing mud crab industry in the country and identified opportunities to establish a sustainable hatchery based mud crab industry in the country, to replace the existing industry based on harvesting wild mud crabs of all sizes that have resulted in significant over-fishing.

Authored a manual on mud crab aquaculture for the FAO of the United Nations.

Read it on the link below:
https://www.fao.org/3/ba0110e/ba0110e.pdf

Support the development and modernization of their barramundi hatchery and farming operation, which included the first shipment of fingerlings from Australia, construction of expanded barramundi nursery facilities, establishing farm management software and organising some R&D on the microbiome of mud crab nursery and pond systems in partnership with Kytos. Reviewed and examined opportunities to improve the efficiency and productivity of their soft shell mud crab farming operation and that of their many contract farmers. This included considerations of their raw material supply value chain, logistics, pond design, feeding strategy and operation.

Undertook a feasibility study to establish a mud crab farm. Co-founded and ran a business that included design and operation of a mud crab hatchery and renovation of a farm for pond culture of mud crabs. Successfully marketed crabs to tourist resorts and the food-service sector in Fiji.

Following the completion of a feasibility study, modified a prawn hatchery into a mud crab hatchery, renovated a run-down prawn farm for crab and prawn farming, and established a soft-shell farming system based on Myanmar-style soft-shell farming system. Operated hatchery and farm as CEO for approximately 3 years.

Reviewed Australian Government investment in mud crab aquaculture technology transfer, research, and development.

Undertook market research on the demand for mud crabs in the Singapore market.