Sustainability is not just a slogan!
Carthage Crabs is committed to
SDG 14 that aims to conserve and sustainably use of the oceans, seas
and marine resources for
sustainable development.
Sustainable Fishing Methods
Fishery Improvement Program
Traceability & Monitoring of the Whole Chain
Carthage Crabs distributed more than 10,000 crabbing cages to fishermen for free, this helped hundreds of fishermen increase their earning and improve their socio-economic status.
Based on our staff expertise in international development and sustainability, we are implementing a FIP to form the National Tunisian Crab Council and create a pact between all crab suppliers to comply with size catch compliance and adhere to the conservation period during crab mating season.
We developed a transparent tracing system where all our products are traceable using a QR code, any customer can enter the lot # and get all information about the product and its origins, date of catch and the name of the boat. This initiative is part of our commitment to combat illegal and unregulated fishing in Africa.
In Carthage Crabs we strongly believe in the importance of creating a business that prioritizes sustainability. Our team is composed of people who were working in the international development sector for several years and who are strong advocates for inclusive economic growth. Therefore, we are committed to create a foundation in the US that can support local cooperatives and nonprofits organizations grouping fishermen and their local communities. The foundation will operate in parallel with the activities of our business and provide technical support to fishermen and build their capacity. It will also help us to relate to the reality of the ecosystem. In terms of operations, we will map existing structure and actors to work with in each country we are operating while simultaneously enable the creation of a cooperative of crab fishermen in countries where it is not yet formed such as Tunisia.
Since joining the NFI Crab Council, Carthage Crabs is pushing key stakeholders in the global crab trade to develop and implement a science-based regulatory framework for Blue Swimming Crab fisheries. Successful BSC sustainability regulations that have proven successful in countries where we are currently working which include A prohibition on the harvest of berried (egg bearing) females. A prohibition on the harvest of crabs with a carapace width smaller than 10 cm. A prohibition on the use of nets with mesh size smaller than 4 ½ inches (95mm). Mandatory escape ports on traps. A prohibition on the use of trawl gear. Additionally, to ensure that stock assessment data collected from BSC Fisheries Improvement Projects operating globally is uniform and can be used in a real-time basis to make strategic adjustments to harvest strategy, the NFI Crab Council endorses the use of the Length Based Spawning Potential Ratio metric to track and measure the health of crab fisheries.
Carthage Crabs is a leading actor pushing for healthy and sustainable crab fisheries in the Mediterranean. As we expand in other countries in the Mediterranean, we give a great importance to our market-based sustainability requirements. We are trying to make crab sustainability attractive to fishermen by understanding its economic value as well as by supporting them on a regular basis. We see new opportunities for us as a company as there are many crab grounds undiscovered like southern France and Spain, as well as more parts in Greece and Turkey.
Carthage Crabs is committed to responsible and sustainable approaches for sourcing crab. In Tunisia, for example, the Blue Swimming Crab (Portunus Pelagicus) is classified as an invasive species. In the waters of the Mediterranean, the sudden explosive growth of the crab took a destructive toll on the existing fishing community. Carthage Crabs’ Founder Amir Ben Ameur saw an opportunity to provide solutions to the fishing community and launched operations and quickly opened a bridge from Tunisia to the US which provided a lifeline to the local fishing community. With his passion for sustainability, Carthage Crabs provided the community with over 15,0000 sustainable crab cages and helped educate the fisherman and local industry on how to shift to catching crab by providing responsible and sustainable solutions. Crabs are now a thriving industry in Tunisia and with these methods in place, the species will continue to thrive while the crab industry expands. Carthage Crabs is now committed to persuading the Tunisian government to categorize the Crab as a resource to conserve and implement conservation policies and therefore it’s investing relentless efforts through local and international advocacy structures like the US crab council and a local cooperative of crab catchers to act upon that policy change. Carthage Crabs is also expanding its processing capabilities by recycling its high-volume crab shell waste from its future plant and other processing units in the country. In Tunisia it will be the first processing unit to integrate waste recycling in its production plan. Waste will be transformed into affordable and high yield organic fertilizers and other important industrial components like chitin.