KUALA LUMPUR: The horseshoe crab known as "Belangkas" in Malay is not commonly eaten, but some Malaysians eat them as a delicacy.

At the beach, one may see these creatures easily with the naked eye due to their hard exoskeleton as well as their ten legs. For local fishermen, these "living fossils" that live primarily in and around shallow waters on soft sandy or muddy bottoms, are also their main source of income.

Nor Athira Yasak, who hails from Batu Uban, Penang started learning the ropes as a horseshoe crab catcher from her father, a fisherman, since she was six years old.

Despite her busy schedule, working from 8 am to 6pm as a cafe worker, the 27-year old, who is the ninth of 10 siblings, has not kept her belangkas catching activity in the back burner. She still goes out to catch the sea creature with her husband Edy Yusrizal, 28.

The couple is assisted by two of her nephews Mohd Faiz Haikal,15, and Mohd Aiman Radzi, 14.

According to Nor Athira, horseshoe crab catchers must have the agility, skills and high degree of patience and all these were developed over the years from her father-mentor, Yasak Zakaria, 81. Enfeebled with age, her father no longer goes out to sea.



LESSONS FROM HER FATHER

Sharing her experience, Nor Athira said her father started catching horseshoe crabs as a source of income in early 1990s and took his children along with him.

Her father was among the early settlers of Batu Uban village who took to catching these marine arthropods, which were then not popular seafood items.

During those days, her father, who was a shore fisherman, would catch horseshoe crabs by the sea near their house in Batu Uban as their family food menu as well as selling them to the public.

However, not many people dared to venture into such unchartered waters especially when it comes to eating horseshoe crabs - which are not true crabs or crustaceans - with each sold for RM4.

"We would often explore the Pantai Jerejak enclave (about two kilometres from the house) to catch horseshoe crabs. These crabs are found in abundance during their peak season, spawning along sandy beaches during evening high tides during the full moon.

"There's a technique in catching these crabs. A large cluster of foamy bubbles in the water indicates their presence. Once the bubbles are spotted, you can catch them with your bare hands. It is actually a hands-on and labour intensive way of catching these creatures; you've got to be quick with your hands as the thorny sides are the tail and body.

"There's a risk involved when picking up the horseshoe crab, but I managed to do it through years of experience. I would usually grip it from the front side to protect my hands from being hurt.

"At the same time, you have to make sure that you are catching them during high tides, otherwise, you won't able to catch any," he told Bernama.

Nor Athira said, catching horseshoe crabs at sea would also depend on 'rezeki' (sustenance) as there were times they had to return home empty-handed.

These living fossils, she added, are usually found in pairs - male and female.

In a month, Nor Athira shared, she would go to the beach five or six times based on high tide schedules, noting that more focus is given to the respective dates - 12th,13th, 14th, 15th, 26th,27th,28th,29th and 30th of the specified month.



HORSESHOE CRAB CHALLENGE

What Nor Athira has gone through as a horseshoe crab catcher is far different from her father's era.

"Those days, catching horseshoe crabs was much easier. My father used to catch 40 to 50 crabs single-handedly. But now, the number of catches has declined and there were times we only caught 20," she said, adding that these hard-shelled sea creatures have become traditional family delicacies among Malaysians.

There were dark days for Nor Athira and her husband when not a single horseshoe crab was caught, noting that the population of these marine species had been declining in recent years.

In addition, Nor Athira said not all horseshoe crabs caught had eggs.

"For example, out of 20 caught during a certain day, not all had eggs and as such I would tell my customers that the horseshoe crabs are fresh from the sea. They are different from those that are bred as the latter come with eggs.

"Those caught at sea do not necessarily have eggs with them. As such, we prefer to sell grilled horseshoe crabs as this way, we know that they are with or without eggs," she added.

Fresh horseshoe crabs are sold at RM13 each while those boiled or grilled are priced at RM19 each.

Albeit the challenges, Nor Athira said there was no reason for her to feel ashamed or tired of what she has been doing all these years.

"There's no such thing as being tired. Catching horseshoe crabs has become our routine. Whatever it takes, even if we have to work the next day or the same night, we would still be going to the beach in search of horseshoe crabs.

"It is halal income and these marine species have provided sustenance for us," she said adding that, after their marriage, her husband decided to join the bandwagon despite having no prior knowledge of horseshoe crabs.



BOILED, GRILLED, SOLD

Nor Athira said these ocean critters are tasty and have their own uniqueness.

"We usually boil or grill them. The boiling process takes about 20 minutes. For grilling, we use the traditional method of grilling on firewood and would ensure that they are properly cooked," she said adding that the horseshoe crab has to be thoroughly cleaned with the poison (mid-section) removed.

From the demand side, she said many customers prefer grilled horseshoe crabs as they are tastier.

In addition, the belangkas is also a popular exotic dish, usually cooked as asam pedas, sambal tumis, kerabu (salad) and curry.

Besides operating from her own house, Nor Athira also sells horseshoe crabs via online. To date, she has a steady clientele in Penang and Seberang Perai who prefer to wait for their supply.

However, demand for belangkas has sparked competition among seekers and operators of these marine species, said Nor Athira, adding that she remains steadfast in her resolve to continue her father's legacy.

"Some people have asked us why we're not breeding our own horseshoe crabs after being in the business of selling all these years. But we're not interested in rearing these marine creatures as there's a difference between the sea creatures and those that are bred. Their tastes are also different.

"The marine species have a much fresher taste with a salty taste of sea water. For bred species, the sea water is homemade, hence the taste varies but customers who have tasted both still prefer horseshoe crabs from the sea and would rather wait for them. This is the response from our regular customers," she added.

-- BERNAMA