Fosen crabs on package tours to Beijing

Sture Lian Olsen
Photo: Håvard Røsvik

Airborne Fosen crabs ­ the Chinese found them to their liking.

"The Chinese have a strong liking for live shellfish and fish," says Håvard Røsvik of MARINTEK. "When the restaurant's chef can pick the live creature directly from a large aquarium, the guests are assured of fresh, first-class food."

Saltwater crabs are in short supply in China, and large quantities are imported from other countries including Australia, Indonesia and Canada. In 1997 Røsvik led a research project on the transportation of live crabs from Trøndelag to China.

"I'm sure that several Norwegian seafood exporters will test the Chinese market during this year's crab season," he said. "The Chinese pay well."

How well?

"Around NOK 70 (USD 10) per kilo for live crabs. That is twice the price of the Swedish market. With efficient logistics and a low death rate, freight and packing expenses for export to China may amount to less then NOK 15 per kilo. Then there should be money to be earned."

There are, however, some risks to the profitability of the operation.

"We carried out four test dispatches from Fosen to Beijing. Instruments monitored the packages so we could follow the temperature, air humidity and oxygen level during the entire transportation process.

"The initial try went totally wrong ­ only 10% of the crabs survived. That was due to a blunder at the airport in Frankfurt. The pallet with the crabs was not only delayed for an additional 24 hours, but the conscientious Germans placed the pallet in a storeroom with a temperature of more than 15 degrees Celsius because it was labelled 'live animals.' The long transportation time and high temperatures were fatal for the crabs."

Later dispatches went by refrigerated van from Fosen to Oslo, via Trondheim, then by cargo aircraft to Copenhagen and from there by passenger aircraft to Beijing. "We then achieved a survival rate of 85%."

According to Røsvik the survival rate may be further improved.

"A 95 % survival rate is realistic, at least if the total transportation time can be reduced to 30 hours, from packing in Fosen to the arrival of the shipment in Beijing. However, this requires air transport from Trondheim. Perhaps the solution is to move the crabs to a live storage and packing station reduce the final transportation time."

Sorting and packing should not be a big problem. Quality control is carried out using screening to ensure that only first-class, meaty crabs are shipped. The crushing claws should be bound so that the crabs do not injure each other enroute. The boxes must be isolated and secured against leakage, while the crabs must be covered with "ice nappies".

Røsvik explains, "These are absorbing mats, preferably made of alginate, which are dipped in water and frozen. Ice nappies are better than chopped ice because they retain the melted water."