Freshwater crabs are harvested artisanally across tropical regions. Their welfare during capture, holding, and sale as live animals requires consideration under emerging crustacean sentience frameworks.
Freshwater crab welfare in artisanal fisheries faces low scrutiny compared to commercial marine species. Trap capture concentrating multiple crabs causes fighting and limb loss. Live holding without adequate water causes physiological stress as aquatic species cannot regulate temperature or oxygen. Transport in dry containers impairs gill function. Applying precautionary welfare principles derived from marine crustacean studies would suggest minimum water provision during transport, minimising live holding duration, and humane killing before sale.