Time to Talk About Crabs
The beginning of summer is always a good time to “talk crab” in the Bahamas.
For good reason.
STONE CRABS--June 1 starts the closure of the Stone Crab Season. For most folks, this is not an issue. Most of us aren’t diving down deep enough in the water to catch them. In all my years underwater in the Bahamas I have never seen one. But the season in the Bahamas is a little different than in Florida and it runs from June 1 through October 15 every year for everyone.
Stone crab claws are one of the most expensive items of seafood you can consume. They are a delicious delicacy. Part of why they are so expensive is the cost of harvesting them is also very expensive. The process is time consuming and only one claw per crab should be taken at a time, although if both are of legal size, they can both be harvested. It would leave a crab with no means to defend itself, so hopefully those in the business, respect this. It takes approximately 3 years for a crab to grow a claw of legal size. Another reason for the price.
To try and ensure everyone does their part, I also encourage people not to order any item, whether crab claws, lobster tail, or grouper, from a restaurant or vendor, when the season for that item is closed. I get that some places keep some stock in the freezer for a bit, so a few days in, ok. But do you really want to be eating something that has been in a freezer for a long period of time? If the season closes June 1, you should not be able to order “fresh” crab claws September 1. Do our sea life and planet a favour and eat what is in season. We will all be happier for it and it will certainly taste better.
LAND CRABS—With summer comes the summer rains. With the rain, the land crabs, who live in holes they dig deep in the ground, come out so they don’t drown. While they are out, they meet other crabs, which is a good thing, so we continue to have more crabs. While they are out is also a great time to catch them, especially at night. It is challenging but can be fun—especially to watch.
Many islanders have memories and stories of running around in the bush with a Croker sack at night. They would get cut up running through the brush and trees chasing crabs before they get back in their holes. The hard part is not getting bit by the crabs claws. Crabs don’t have to be big to pinch hard. I think the key is to move fast, use your feet first and then your hands. Most people then take the crabs home and put them in a large crawl or cage and feed them fruit and scraps for a few days to weeks to “fatten” them up. Being scavengers, they are efficient at picking the last bits of fruit off a mango seed or eating a watermelon rind down to nothing.
Land crabs are actually very tasty. You can have them boiled straight, baked (where the meat is mixed up like a crab cake and stuffed back in the shell) and of course, the Bahamian dish Crab ‘n Rice is like nothing else you will ever have. Very time consuming to make, but very delicious.