Crab Fattening (Chamber Chas)–A Promising Enterprise in Indian Part of Sundarban

Crab fattening, locally known as Chamber chas, is the rearing of discarded adult mud crabs (Scylla serrata, S. tranquebarica), considered unfit in arats for export, in small brackishwater bodies (ca. 0.01 ha) for a short period of 15-20 days to meet the increasing demand of gonad-developed and meat-crabs for domestic and export markets. It is a new enterprise of late 1990s, recently gaining ground in Indian part of Sundarban. It is profitable because of fast turnover, low operating cost (due to use of domestic labour in most cases), high survival rate (90%) and good demand for the end products. Chamber chas is encountered at several Development Blocks of Indian Sundarban, viz., Gosaba, Basanti, Canning I, Canning II, Sandeshkhali I and Sandeshkhali II, etc.. Both Hindus and Muslims are engaged in chamber chas, even taking on lease of local ponds. Details of two crab fattening case studies have been published in a local Bengali Magazine “Sundarban Alekhya” (August 2011, 28^th Year, 2^nd Issue, pages 5-10) by the senior author to encourage about this recent enterprise.