Researchers of Walailak university show the prototype “Automatic Crab Egg collection machine” on the occasion of Prof. Dr Anek LaoThammatat, the Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (RAO), visits the research area to inspect the progress of the Blue Crab Bank Project, “Returning the Blue Crab to the Thai Sea” at the Blue Crab Bank School Center, Tha Sala District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province on September 26, 2020. Prof. Dr Sombat Thamrongthanwong, President of Walailak University, and Prof. Sirirerk Songsivilai, M.D., secretary-general of the National Research Council of Thailand, acting as Director of the Office of Research National (NRCT) and the administrators of Assoc, are join the research progress visiting.
Baan Nai Thung Blue Crab Bank Learning Center, Tha Sala District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province is the project area that the NRCT supports research and innovation. And there is a project area “Distribution and expansion of the Blue Crab Bank to return the Blue Crab to the Thai Sea and further research to enhance the sustainable use in accordance with the BCG Economy guidelines in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province and Surat Thani. Assistant Professor Dr Amornsak Sawasdee from Walailak University is the project leader
During the visit of the Minister of Agriculture, Walailak University has shown innovative prototypes. “Automatic Crab Egg collection machine”, which is the work of Asst. Prof. Dr Prachid Saramolee from department of petrochemical and polymer, School of Engineering and Technology. He developed the tool for more than 7 months. Because there are too many crab eggs in spawning season. They don’t have enough labor for blue crab egg collector job. Therefore he thinked to developing a prototype to save man power. His prototype is supported by NRCT and it is a sub-project of the Blue Crab Bank Project.
The machine is operated by a control unit that looks like a 4-sided cabinet, which is programmed to control 2 polymer brushes to spin the crab eggs. The brush axis will move 3-axis (XYZ) or left-right, front-back and up and down. It can help to pick 24 pieces at a time. And it has a water injection system to flow out through the pipes into the tank To bring the eggs to kindergarten before releasing into the natural sea
The professor Dr Sirirerk, the secretary-general of the National Research Council, acting director of the National Research Agency, reported the Department of Fisheries and Cooperation Agency had been expanded upto 543 crab banks to cover 20 Thailand coastal communities in the past two years . Which they has resulted in tremendous benefits in both the economic and social aspects. Crab catching has increased by 20%. Currently, the quantity of crab across the country has increased 1-4 times. The economic value is approximately 50,000 million baht per year. In June 2020, 500 blue crab banks released 271,500 female crabs. Although the chance of survival is lower than 0.1%, 50,000 tons of crab cubs, creating an economic value of 16 billion baht per month.
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Compiled by Dr Kessara Seneesrisaku