Oral presentation winner of the CAMO Young Scientist Award at the 3rd Joint Trans-Atlantic Fisheries Technology Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark 15-18 September 2009

1. Sara Barrento sarabarrento@yahoo.com Sara Barrento sarabarrento@yahoo.com Paulo Vaz Pires António Marques Maria Leonor Nunes Critical points in the trade chain of live crustaceans in Europe Influence of animal physiological condition 3rd Joint Trans-Atlantic Fisheries Technology ConferenceCopenhagen, 15-18 September 2009 IPIMAR

2. Live crustaceans: a globalized market Portugal seafood consumption per capita = 57 kg (data from 2003)

3. Portugal: trade dominated by importation

4. Live trade of edible crab in Portugal Edible crab represents 81% of crustaceans live imports ≈ 2000 tons are live traded 70 % supplied by the UK but... mortality is high Up to 50 %

6. D-glucose

7. haemocyanin

8. and pH in the haemlymph prior to transport, after transport and during recovery in stocking tanks

11. Haemolymph sampled: - lactate - glucose - haemocyanin - pH2

12. England: crab vigour checked 0 - dead 1 - moribund 2 - weak 3 - healthy 4 - very healthy 3

13. Edible crab transport 700 kg crabs/tank 30 crabs were put in the top 30 crabs were put in the bottom 1 kg/L seawater at 13 ºC without filtration 4 Transport: 58 h 5

14. The arrival: Portugal Seawater in the transport tank: dissolved oxygen = 2.8 mg.L-1 pH = 7.4

15. The arrival: Portugal 5 Setúbal, Portugal Vigour checked Haemolymph sampled Of the 60 crabs tagged only one in the top died 6000 tons unloaded (mortality = 1 %) Setúbal, Portugal Vigour checked Haemolymph sampled Of the 60 crabs tagged only one in the top died 6000 tons unloaded (mortality = 1 %) Setúbal, Portugal Vigour checked Haemolymph sampled Of the 60 crabs tagged only one in the top died 6000 tons unloaded (mortality = 1 %) Setúbal, Portugal Vigour checked Haemolymph sampled Of the 60 crabs tagged only one in the top died 6 tons unloaded (mortality = 1 %) After 58 h of transport - bottom crabs had more missing limbs than top crabs - 9 % of males had one missing claw while females had none - top crabs had higher lactate and lower pH values than bottom crabs - bottom crabs had more missing limbs than top crabs - 9 % of males had one missing claw while females had none - top crabs had higher lactate and lower pH values than bottom crabs - bottom crabs had more missing limbs than top crabs - 9 % of males had one missing claw while females had none - top crabs had higher lactate and lower pH values than bottom crabs

16. Recovery in stocking tanks 96 h Recovery at 16 ºC Vigour checked Haemolymph sampled (6, 24, 48, 72, 96 h) 6 Mortality During recovery crabs continued to loose claws and legs 67 % of moribund crabs died against 6 % of weak crabs

17. Haemolymph results Impairment of aerobioses and shift to anaerobic metabolism Only lactate reached control values

19. mortality

20. delayed recovery

21. economical lossesTransport critical points: - poor handling - air exposure - poor water quality - high animal densities

22. Conclusions Immerse transport promotes: hypoxia anaerobic metabolism different stress levels between top and bottom crabs physical damages Possible solutions: semi-dry transport Improve immerse transport: Suppply of oxygen to seawater Implement filtrating systems