Suleiman Mallah represents the many fisherfolk are resorting to catching deadly mud crabs while also risking being bitten by snakes.
“There are no rules and regulations in markets here,” Wanjaro said. “The mud crabs are transported in special cars but fishermen live hand to mouth.” If Mallah catches smaller crabs that weigh less than 200 grams, close to the edge of the mangrove, the agents give him nothing or 4 cents per crab. These same small crabs, agents sell for 50 cents to exporters, who sell them for $1-2 each or fatten them up and sell them for $10-12 each. If Mallah goes deeper into the mangrove on a boat and catches larger mud crabs that are between 500 grams to 800 grams, those can sell in live markets in China, Singapore and Hong Kong for $30 to $100 each. But he gets less than 90 cents for them.To catch bigger crabs, Mallah rents a little motor-run boat from his agent. He pays the agent to use the boat, and the agent takes a cut on every crab they catch. A successful catching day might land Mallah a few large mud crabs, but he’ll be paid less than $2 a day, keeping him below Pakistan’s poverty line.Climate disasters have forced many to catch mud crabs and hand them to an exploitative supply chain of agents, middlemen, suppliers, and exporting companies in Pakistan who leave them with little profit.
Suleiman Mallah looks for crabs in the mangroves of Kharo Chhan, Pakistan.
Abbas Chero is around 60 years old now, but years ago he was bitten by a snake in a mangrove swamp. It took his family a while to find a life-saving anti-venom shot, but they succeeded. “I survived the dangerous snake bite, anyone else would have passed away,” he told VICE World News. “I was vomiting blood. My leg to my shoulder all became black.” He survived after going to three different hospitals.After a morning of catching mud crabs in swamps, the fisherfolk head to a small depot in Atharki Area in the afternoon, where middlemen who sell to suppliers are lined up to divide their catch into four payment categories. Their agents take a 30 percent cut.Anything above 300 grams gets 350 rupees or $1.55 a crab before the agents’ cut. But most of their catch is small. Mud crabs less than 300 grams, but more than 200 grams, fetch 150 rupees, or $0.67 cents. Anything less than 200 to 115 grams goes for $0.4 cents. Crabs that are less than 115 grams are taken for free.“It is not easy to catch crabs, my young brother just passed away, because he was bitten by a snake while he was catching crabs.”
Fisherfolk are left at the mercy of middlemen who have monopolized supply chains of mud crabs.
The middleman told VICE World News that he transports the mud crabs to a supplier in Karachi on commission, who sells them at another wholesale fish market where twenty big mud crab companies buy them. At the Ibrahim Hyderi wholesale market in Karachi, crabs that middlemen paid fishermen and their agents only $1.50 for, were sold for $7; and crabs that were bought for $0.67 were sold for $5.33. The biggest mark up was in the crabs bought for $0.04 or nothing, which were sold for $4.44. Another supplier at the market, who didn’t want to share his name, acknowledged the inequality in the market. He said that 15 years ago he used to catch crabs too, but then started supplying directly to companies in Karachi. Now, he has four transport cars, 50 boats, a house, and has bought acres of agricultural land. He said his friends who he caught crabs with years ago can hardly buy a motorbike.Anything above 300 grams gets 350 rupees, $1.55, a crab before the agents cut. But most of their catch is small. Crabs that are less than 115 grams are taken for free.
The many faces of mud crab fishing community.
A child shows a small mud crab.