Project number: 2017-018
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $158,459.00
Principal Investigator: Sue Poole
Organisation: Department of Agriculture and Fisheries EcoScience Precinct
Project start/end date: 10 Sep 2017 - 25 Sep 2019
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Industry producers and processors have identified that crabs and lobsters suffer quality deterioration
during transportation, which then results in downgrading and consequent price reduction. As lobsters and crabs are highly sought products, losses incurred through current handling chains cause significant waste of this valuable resource. In NSW eastern rock lobster, mud crab and spanner crab resources are fully fished and hence, full revenue return can only be gained by mitigating the wastage occurring.

It is known that quality loss in crustaceans is often caused by stress imposed along the supply chain. To reduce the likelihood of downgrading of product, there is a need to undertake an examination of the handling and transport issues pertinent to various landing ports, distribution chains and market sales points. Identification of specific stress factors and where they occur most severely will enable development of specific mitigation measures for Industry implementation.

The need for the research was noted in the NSW FRAC research priorities, 2016.

Objectives

1. Document current handling practices and transport pathways within the three crustacean industries and identify the factors contributing most to animal stress
2. Develop adapted handling and transport protocols that minimise the critical stress factors
3. Trial amended protocols within commercial operations
4. Evaluate success by change in number of downgrades and market price achieved for live product
5. Extend knowledge to industry sectors and encourage adoption by demonstration of protocols at local port meetings.

Final report

ISBN: 978-0-7345-0466-1
Author: Sue Poole and Paul Exley
Final Report • 2020-05-01 • 1.66 MB
2017-018-DLD.pdf

Summary

Eastern rock lobsters, spanner crabs and mud crabs command a high price when supplied to the market as live product. Being aquatic animals, the demands to retain maximum quality and liveliness through the supply chain are challenging. Once taken from water, these crustaceans are subject to multiple hurdles resulting in cumulative stress and diminishing probability of survival. For the past two years, scientists from Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries have been working with the New South Wales (NSW) crab and lobster Industries to determine ways to reduce stress imposed on the animals from capture to market. Through temperature monitoring along the supply chain, two key areas were identified as having high impact on the crustaceans. Handling by individual fishers from point of capture was critical to keep animals cool, damp, out of light and with minimal disturbance. Temperature during transport of crabs and lobsters often imposed severe stress, arising from truck refrigeration temperatures being set below the tolerance of live animals and the influence of cold truck floor-beds reducing live animal temperatures. The importance of careful handling after capture was emphasised with fishers and co-operative management staff regularly at every landing location visit. Simple modifications for protecting live animals from cold temperatures during transport were developed to reduce stress on the live animals. The benefit gained from adapted practices was successfully demonstrated within commercial operations.

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