The Journey of Portunus Crab: Crab Cage | Bait | Portunus Crab
In August, some fishing boats in the East China Sea started fishing, and the summer fishing ban came to an end. This year, more than 2700 fishing boats from Zhoushan went to the East China Sea, with crab cage boats accounting for a relatively heavy proportion.
Crab cage boat is a fishing boat mainly engaged in crab cage fishing operations. The boat is filled with crab cages, and from a distance, it seems to be carrying a green hill. Crab cages can be considered as fishing gear with low energy consumption, low labor, and not easily damaging the ecological environment. Due to their main focus on catching crabs and strong fishing selectivity, they are beneficial for nearshore fishery resources and racial structure adjustment. The crab cage is cylindrical in shape, with an iron frame as the backbone, supporting a soft fishing net. The three-dimensional net surface is equipped with a lure port, which is the entry channel for swimming crabs and also their door to life and death. The lure port has a characteristic: easy to enter but difficult to exit. Once crabs enter the cage, they can never leave. The bottom of the crab cage is tightly tied to the crossbeam, while the top is flexible and can be loosened as needed, such as placing bait, pouring out crabs, or tidying up fishing gear.
The main fishing grounds for swimming crabs are at the mouth of the Yangtze River and the waters east of the Zhoushan Islands. Due to the different distances of the target sea areas, the sailing time of crab cage boats varies. The closer sea areas can be reached in a few hours, while the farther ones require a day and a night. Before the crab cage enters the sea, the bait must be hung first. Otherwise, throwing it into the sea is also a waste. How can we lure crabs? In cage fishing operations, the influence of bait on harvest is enormous. According to the feeding habits of swimming crabs, the bait should be fresh fish with a strong fishy smell, good glossiness, and can maintain a longer emitting time. Crab cage boats often adjust their bait according to the season, with shrimp babbling being the main bait in spring, and plum fish being the main bait after the fishing ban. Anyway, if you want to lure crabs into the cage, you have to cater to their appetite.
Fishing grounds are like battlefields, where quick battles and quick decisions are paramount. As soon as the crab cage boat enters the fishing ground, it starts releasing the crab cage after identifying its position. The roar of the machine rang out, and the ship sailed forward with a clattering sound. The machine carried crab cages one by one into the sea, and the order of releasing the cages was: first buoy, buoy rope, sinking stone, then dry rope, support rope, and crab cage. The splashing seawater forms a long "white line" on the sea surface, and in no time, a whole row of crab cages is ready. Fishermen refer to this whole row as a group, with a set of crab cages usually 2500. After releasing two sets of crab cages, the work comes to a temporary end, and the fishing boat can anchor and wait.
Crab cages are quiet hunters, silently crouching in the sea, while letting the scent of bait spread everywhere, enticing the entire sea of swimming crabs. The crabs followed the scent and first observed and spun outside the cage. When they saw the crab cage obediently staying there for a while, their courage grew stronger and they began to wait for an opportunity to burrow in. So, they fell for the trap, and several openings on the net were waiting for them to cross in. The swimming crab competed to crawl into the cage to grab food, little realizing that it was already a delicacy for humans.
When will the crab cage be pulled out? How often do I pull it out? It depends on the situation. During the peak season of swimming crabs, pulling twice a day is not too much, while during the off-season, it is mostly done once a day and once a night. To pull out the crab cages, first hold the buoy, and then the machine transport belt pulls the crab cages that are submerged in the sea one by one. The originally calm sea surface instantly shatters, like a tug of war match with the sea. The crab cages come out of the water, indicating that the victory is in hand. The sea water in the cage fell with a rustling sound, and the prey gradually became clear and distinguishable. Suddenly, from the dark sea to the half sky exposed to light, the crabs in the cage struggled in fear, holding their crab claws but not knowing who to fight with. At that time, they may have realized that they had never escaped the fate of becoming people's dishes.
Don't think that if the crab cage is pulled out, even if the fishermen have achieved great success, they can rest assured. In fact, the tedious work will only begin next. In order to welcome the arrival of the swimming crab, they were already prepared in raincoats and pants. Thousands of crab cages kept coming up from the conveyor belt, with fishermen standing at the edge of the boat, mechanically removing the crab cages from the ropes, putting them aside, removing them, putting them aside... one after another, repeating the same action countless times. And behind him, a few fishermen took the crab cage and kept uncovering the lid, pouring out the catch. A large number of swimming crabs gather together, jumping and dancing with their teeth and claws open. To prevent them from biting each other, rubber bands must be used to tie the crab legs. They are rough and meticulous in their work, picking up crabs one by one, neatly tying them up and putting them into baskets. The crabs are now honest, with their shuttle shaped bodies quietly stacked together.
The swimming crab has left the sea and its survival time is limited. Fishermen must dispose of it as soon as possible and have the fresh boat transport it directly. The land-based foodies have long stretched their necks, waiting for a feast.
After the fishing ban, the "first wind" swimming crab is often snatched crazily as soon as it lands. Picking crabs is a technical activity, generally characterized by clear and glossy crab shell texture, thick and hard abdomen, tight connection between crab feet and body, and light red umbilical cord. For swimming crabs, their flesh is pure white and silky, with a delicate and sweet taste, or rich in protein, fat, and various minerals. That is their most basic "literacy". In Zhoushan, the hard indicators of good swimming crabs cannot be considered as their size or fullness after opening the shell, but rather the presence of red paste. Of course, the best red paste crabs usually wait until September or October. Prying open the crab shell, if the cream is plump, a fresh fragrance will snatch away a person's soul. And when the fresh crab meat is wrapped in rich red paste, it is definitely a great blessing on the tongue.
The swimming crab is undoubtedly the most delicious food in the world, but when enjoying the delicious food, don't forget the fishermen who have put in the hard work of chopping and chopping the waves for it.
