A natural hatchery has been set up at Cox’s Bazar beach to carry out research on the Horseshoe crab, a marine animal rich in valuable medicinal properties.
The blue blood of the Horseshoe crab is precious to the pharmaceutical and microbiological industries, which astounds zoologists. Owing to its therapeutic qualities, it has a high demand on the global market.
A gallon of Horseshoe crab’s blue blood costs sixty thousand US dollars. In addition to blue blood, it is used to make soup, which is highly beneficial due to its high level of beneficial properties. The upper hard shell yields a material known as “chitosin,” which is utilized for manufacturing a variety of goods.
The hatchery was established on a 40-acre oceanfront part of the land in the Rejukhal estuary by scientists from the Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute (Bori). The area is bordered by bamboo. 119 Horseshoe crabs total—71 male and 48 female—were first released by the hatchery after being collected from the shore.
Since August 2021, scientists from the Institute of Marine Research have been conducting research on Horseshoe crabs. Scientists believe that Horseshoe crab blue will make a big contribution to the economy.
“The research that Bori is doing on Horseshoe crabs is quite encouraging,” said the director general of the institute, Professor Dr Touhida Rasheed at Cox’s Bazar.
“The Horseshoe crab is going to have a significant economic impact. A hatchery has been built for this reason on the beach next to Bori in order to advance the scientific endeavors,” She added.
The former principal of India’s KN College of Basic Science, biological oceanographer, and Horseshoe crab expert, Dr. Govind Chand Biswal is under the technical supervision of this research program of Horseshoe crab.
He said, “The hatchery is a good place to start research on horseshoe crab. The behaviors of the Horseshoe crab will be recognized through the research.”
Govind Chand Biswal said, “There are two types of Horseshoe crabs in Bangladesh. Among these, there is a large stock of ‘Carcinocarpius rotondocda‘ in the mangrove region of Maheshkhali. Thousands of Horseshoe crabs come here to lay their eggs every year during the breeding season. After that, the molecule hatches from that egg and goes to the sea after being nurtured in the natural environment.”
Tariqul Islam, Senior Scientific Officer of Bangladesh Marine Research Institute (BORI) said, “Horseshoe crabs are found mostly on sandy beaches. This hatchery is also conveniently located. 71 male and 48 female Horseshoe crabs collected from the sea coast have been released in this hatchery.”
However, experts are concerned since the number of Horseshoe crabs has been dropping annually.
Even just a few years ago, flocks of Horseshoe crab could be seen in tidal areas of various coastal areas including Cox’s Bazar. But the animal has disappeared from the vast coast.
It is alleged that a powerful syndicate has caught and smuggled Horseshoe crabs from various coastal areas of Bangladesh to various countries including Thailand. As a result, the animal is gradually disappearing.
However, even though the animal has disappeared from a wide area, Horseshoe crab is still struggling to survive in the mud-sandy areas surrounded by mangrove vegetation and various islands of Cox’s Bazar district. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the animal is on the red list in Bangladesh.
Therefore, prompt actions to preserve this species are required along with research on its economic potential.
Jaber Bin Abdul Bari
Department of Oceanography, NSTU
