For the soft-shell crab industry, the precise timing of the molting stage is crucial.
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Blue Star Foods Corp is improving its soft-shell crab operations by introducing cutting-edge technology that combines Artificial Intelligence (AI) with Ultraviolet (UV) light technology to advance the standard molting crab identification process.
For the soft-shell crab industry, the precise timing of the molting stage is crucial. Currently, the process for this identification is slow and prone to errors, resulting in high mortality rates and operational inefficiencies, according to Blue Star Foods.
Additionally, due to crabs molting at a higher rate during the night, the likelihood of errors and undetected molting crabs increases, resulting in a lower survival rate compared to the day shifts.
Conversely, if an AI system combined with UV light technology is implemented, the identification process can be automated, significantly reducing labor hours and costs, enhancing operational efficiency, and decreasing mortality rates.
Furthermore, this technology will identify the optimal time for harvesting soft-shell crabs post-molting, maximizing their quality and market value, while increasing the average biennial survival rate of 75% and the company's operational profitability.
In late March, the North American company communicated the beginning of its soft-shell crab production in South Carolina for the 2024 season, under the valid license issued by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
