Many friends of Kenya and its coastal paradises have known him once or know him for years as the owner of an elegant and wild lodge on the famous golden beach north of Mambrui, as the manager of the adjoining Che Chale bar and restaurant, as a kitesurfing enthusiast and for many other aspects of his passionate African life.
But for a few years now, Justin Aniere has been the 'king of mangrove crabs' in Kenya.

His breeding of 'scylla serrata', this is the name of the so-called 'mud crabs', which grow in the saline areas of equatorial and tropical regions and therefore have a particularly tasty meat, while remaining sweet, and are very popular in cooking, particularly in Asia. But the mud crab also plays an important role in environmental protection, its presence ensuring the health of the mangroves and the ocean.

A decade ago (see our article about him here), Justin founded Crabs Alive, the first professionally organised crab nursery, breeding wild-caught specimens in the aquaculture facilities he built on his property in Che Chale. As the specialised online magazine 'Fish on the Net' wrote, after years of effort, Crabs Alive successfully produced the first batches of crabs from the nursery last November and December, with the support of Scylla, a renowned mud crab advisory group.

An achievement described as 'pioneering' for Kenya. Justin Justin expressed optimism that Kenya would join the mud crab farming countries, both for the domestic and foreign markets, which would greatly benefit coastal communities. For instance, his company plans to collaborate with a local ecosystem protection group, the Bahari Hai Conservation Group, as well as, after receiving approval and support from local and international organisations, including FAO and the Kenya Marine Fisheries Socio-Economic Development (KEMFSED) project, supported by the World Bank, Justin hopes to also utilise government aquaculture facilities, in order to produce large quantities of crabs for trade.

Aquaculture of this type of crab requires access to reliable quantities of mature crabs for breeding, making a healthy local fishery crucial until local stocks can be domesticated. With initiatives like these, Justin's Crabs Alive is leading the way towards a sustainable future for mud crab farming in Kenya.