Socio-demographic drivers and public perceptions of consumption and conservation of Asian horseshoe crabs in northern Beibu Gulf, China

Overharvesting Asian horseshoe crabs for food is a primary threat to their populations. In the present study, 451 residents were interviewed from the northern Beibu Gulf, the coastal area that is believed to accommodate the highest density of the Chinese horseshoe crab Tachypleus tridentatus worldwide, to obtain baseline information on their consumption behaviour and underlying drivers. Based on the survey data, it is estimated that a mean individual consumption rate of ten meals per year. Nearly half of the respondents (49.7%) claimed that they had previously eaten at least two horseshoe crab meals. Among the six occupation categories (managers, professionals, workers, environmental-related workers, fishers and farmers, and students), fishers and farmers were identified as the group that had eaten a significantly higher number of horseshoe crab meals, had consumed them more frequently, and had a greater intention of eating them than that of students. The age, education level, and salary of participants were the important socio-demographic variables related to their consumption behaviour. More than one-third of respondents decided to consume horseshoe crabs because they perceived them as tasty 'seafood' and valuable ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine. Eighty-three per cent of participants reported an overall decrease in the number of horseshoe crabs in the region. Although the community was supportive towards horseshoe crab conservation, their ecological knowledge of horseshoe crabs was limited. The findings may be useful for providing insights to merge the gap between scientific data and management planning for the horseshoe crab population in the region. Conservation management initiatives, such as the involvement of fishers in monitoring and enforcement, developing a reporting system for landings and by-catch, and implementing long-term conservation education through the school curriculum could promote the protection and management of the population.