Albany sand crabs could be the ‘next big thing’ on WA’s seafood menu with help from Clancy’s Fish Pub

Albany’s “sand crab pioneer” is set to put a little-known south coast gem on WA’s seafood map through a collaboration with a popular restaurant chain. Albany sand crabs, caught by fisherman Eric Tranthem, will feature on the menu at Clancy’s Fish Pub in the coming months across four restaurants including Fremantle and Dunsborough. The relatively unknown species, likened to blue swimmer crabs, has been widely overlooked until now. The collaboration is leading a new program from the WA Fishing Industry Council, which aims to encourage consumer support for local seafood and showcase overlooked species. Despite decades of fishing experience, Mr Tranthem has only been catching sand crabs for the past four years. He said it “hadn’t been easy” finding a market beyond the Albany Boatshed Markets to sell his catch. But now his crabs have reached as far as Sydney. “The sand crabs are certainly comparable to blue swimmer crabs, it is actually sweeter and more delicate,” he said. “They are clean because they live in the sand and for their size they have a lot of meat in them ... and they are certainly sustainable.” Clancy’s Fish Pub executive chef Ashley Ryan said he could see the sand crabs becoming “the next big thing on a WA seafood platter”. “We trialled a few of the sand crabs in a variety of recipes and found them to be quite a surprise,” he said, “They are a very fleshy crab, so there’s plenty of meat but because of the cold salty water and pristine conditions in their local environment, they have a beautiful sweet taste as well, so there’s a lot you can do with them.” Mr Tranthem will work with the Department of Primary Industries and Development to determine if there is a sufficient and sustainable volume of sand crabs and consumer demand. WAFIC chief executive Alex Ogg said the sand crab fishery was very low impact and had interesting potential for sustainable commercial development. “There’s nothing high-tech about the sand crab fishery at the moment,” he said. “It’s simply a local fisherman and his boat, but early research does show there is potential for growth.”