Crab Industry in Venezuela, Ecuador and Mexico: Implications for the ChesapeakeBay Blue Crab Industry

摘要

Crab production from Latin America has been increasing over the last decade andposes a competitive threat to the Chesapeake Bay's blue crab industry. Venezuela has been the biggest exporter to the U.S. in terms of dollar: U.S. Crabmeat imports from Venezuela rose from 1.5 million in 1991 to 6.2 million in 1992 (172,000 to 456,479 kilograms) and from Mexico increased from .15 million to 4.5 million (39,970 to 560,278 kilograms) during this same period. Because of potentially large untapped crab resources on both coasts of South and Central America, the likelihood is great that exports to the U.S. will continue to increase. This report provides an overview of the crab fisheries in each of the three Latin American countries as well as harvesting techniques, processing methods, markets, problems facing the industry and long-range projections.