A few million dong for a giant king crab

A 2 kg king crab costs nearly 4 million VND, but the quantity is limited so the stores only prioritize selling to customers who have pre-ordered.

According to a survey at seafood stores in Ho Chi Minh City, 1-2 kg king crabs are currently priced at 1.7-1.8 million VND per kg, an increase of 20-25% compared to last year. This price is more expensive than green lobsters and equivalent to flower lobsters - a high-end seafood with delicious and expensive meat. Small crabs (500 grams each) cost 800,000 VND to 1.1 million VND per kg.

The "giant" king crab is very limited in quantity, so even rich customers cannot easily buy it. Ms. Hue in District 5 said that she ordered 2 kg crabs for nearly 4 million VND each, and had to wait two months for the goods to arrive.

According to her, a few years ago they were easy to buy and cheap, but now they are becoming increasingly rare, causing the price to increase. "The crabs are big, the meat is firm, the roe is fatty, and they are delicious. Therefore, although the price is high, every year I order them from the beginning of the season to enjoy them," Ms. Hue said.

King crab weighing nearly 2kg at a seafood shop on Phan Van Tri street. Photo: HS Lam Duong — King crab weighing nearly 2kg at a seafood shop on Phan Van Tri street. Photo: *Lam Duong*

A seafood store employee on Nguyen Van Linh Street (District 7) said that each season they only import 3-5 2kg fish, priced at 3.5-4 million VND each, and priority is given to customers who order in advance.

Similarly, at a seafood store on Phan Van Tri Street (Binh Thanh), giant king crabs always sell out within 1-2 days. Ms. Lam, the owner of this store, said that for the past two years, crabs weighing 3 kg have almost disappeared, the largest is only about 2 kg, but the quantity is very small.

"Out of 10 kg of imported crabs, there are only 1-2 crabs of 2 kg size, sometimes there are no big crabs," said Ms. Lam.

At Binh Dien wholesale market, traders also said that the goods coming to the market this year are not as many as in previous years and most of them are small (250-500 grams) each. The price of large crabs is often double that of small crabs.

Explaining the scarcity of supply, Ms. Lam said that it was due to overexploitation. In particular, those weighing 150-300 grams each, instead of being released back into the sea or river, fishermen still catch them and sell them at cheap prices.

King crab is a type of sea crab that lives far from shore. In Vietnam, this type is abundant on Phu Quy Island ( Binh Thuan ) and Ly Son Island (Quang Ngai). The crab meat is as delicious as lobster, firm, with fragrant, fatty roe and rich in nutrients.

The best season for king crab is from April to July every year, and this is also the time when fishermen can easily catch "giant" sized ones.

Hong Chau

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