Another good way of making money, whether on a full time basis or on a part time basis. Furthermore, the agriculture sector of our economy is doing very well. This company mentioned below, Sama Aquaculture, is said to use the crab breeding technology from Denmark and claim that it has a better survival rate for the crabs compared to breeding them in ponds.So,if you have the interest and passion, you may want to have a closer look at breeding crabs and laugh your way to the bank.

Full of crab
By Rose Yasmin Karim

Tap, tap. Crack. Think you know your crabs? Let’s take a behind-the-scenes peek at tank-raised brown crabs in Parit Buntar, Perak.

The crab was sitting quietly in a corner, probably coming to terms with its life sentence.

“I wouldn’t do that,” cautioned Zulkifle Mohamed, 36, of Sama Aquaculture, when he spotted me poking at the crustacean.

“Crabs can inflict a great deal of pain to fingers and toes, given the opportunity.”

The multitiered aquatic apartment can house 120 crabs.

Sama Aquaculture has worked hard to develop a method of growing Scylla serrata, or brown crab, the most important member of the family of edible crabs, in tanks for commercial supply.

Crab breeding is a lucrative business, I was told. Pump in RM6,569 and within 70 days or so, you’ll get your money back, plus a handsome return of approximately RM1,300.

Now, it doesn’t take a math nerd to tell you that this is a venture worth looking into.

“It’s increasingly rare that the crabs you eat come from the wild. Brown crabs in particular are sensitive to changes in water salinity. Storms that wash in too much freshwater or sea water will affect the population,” said Zulkifle. “If mangrove swamps go the way scientists say they will, brown crabs may one day have to be 100% farm-raised.”

The crabs are fed diced fresh fish. — RICKY LAI/The Star

The crabs at the farm are nurtured, in 2.5ft x 12ft (0.7m x 3.6m) rectangular containers, a multi-tiered miniature aquatic apartment that holds 120 crabs.

“Each crab has its own pot because of the species’ cannibalistic nature. This is the crab’s home for 70 days, until it reaches a market size of 500gm,” said Zulkifle.

It doesn’t take up too much space, and I could picture a set installed in my yard, just so I could have the multi-legged creatures for dinners regularly. It’s a crab-eat-crab world out there in the depths of a pond, so breeding in tanks is preferable as this helps to control the mortality rate.

“If crabs don’t get enough to eat, they feed on each other or even themselves,” said Zulkifle. Like all arthropods, crabs must shed their shell to grow.

Each crab gets its own compartment because it tends to be cannibalistic.

“When a crab is armour-less, this is when it is most vulnerable to attacks by other crabs,” Zulkifle told me.

That’s a lot of drama going on in the crab realm.

Zulkifle pointed out that crabs reared in ponds have only a 30% survival rate. In tanks, there’s an 80%-95% chance of surviving.

“Out of 120 young crabs raised per tank, roughly 112 will see the insides of a shipment box.

“Breeding crabs is not a tough business to manage, even for a stay-at-home mum,” assured Zulkifle.

“The key is to maintain the cleanliness of the water. The crabs feed once a day on a diet of chopped fish. Feeding is done at night because crabs are nocturnal creatures. Every morning, you’d have to remove the remains of the previous night’s dinner and wash the filter bags.

“We do not use hormones or chemicals to fatten the crabs up and there are no environmental contaminants, or mercury. There’s little waste, and the system is drought-proof as water is continually recycled.”

Zulkifle pulled out a plump crab from a tank that has all the makings of a culinary hit, saying, “This one here is about 700g, and it can grow up to 4kg.”

Professionals like him can spot a good crab just by looking at its stomach, but he advised amateurs to just pick the heavy ones, because they have more meat.

“The one thing you don’t want to do is overcook this mighty tasty creature,” said Zulkifle, who likes his crab lightly seasoned with salt and turmeric and deep fried.

“Once a crab dies, the meat gets mushy,” he said. “If you’ve ever eaten a crab and found that the meat was mushy, it means it died before hitting the pot.”

Sama Aquaculture breeds both hard-shell and soft-shell crabs.

“A soft-shell crab is just a regular crab that we collect, pack and freeze when it moults the second time. The crab uses up calcium in the water to build a new shell. By removing it from the water, it stops the shell-hardening process. The quicker it is removed from the water, the softer the new shell and the better the quality of the meat, as the crab imbibes a lot of water to expand its body mass,” said Zulkifle.

The most intense, sweet flavour in a crab, he said, is found in the fat layer beneath its shell, which is why soft-shell crab is a prized catch.

“Soft shell crabs are eaten whole, shell intact,” said Zulkifle.

If you’ve tried tempura — fried soft shell crab at Sushi bars — you’d know that they look like big bugs on the plate, which for me, adds more fun to the dining experience.

“The claws of the crabs are snapped off to speed up the moulting process,” Zulkifle said.

“It’s a crab; the claws will regenerate,” he added when he noticed me wrinkling my nose at the thought of crabs with amputated limbs.

I guess in the grand scheme of terrible things that could happen, like being boiled alive, having claws removed does not rank highly on a crab’s worry list.

“Soft-shell crabs are ready for harvest after three weeks to a month. Hard-shell crabs take two to 2½ months.”

The crabs are chill-packed and shipped to Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Dubai, ready to become crab bisque or ravioli with crab sauce.

“In the wild, the moulting process almost always takes place in muddy waters, and this is reflected in the taste. Tank-raised crab are held in higher esteem at hotels and restaurants because when reared in pristine water, the flavour is clean and sweet,” Zulkifle pointed out.

The company hopes to share the technology with those keen on breeding crabs in tanks until they’re large enough for export.

“A venture like this has the potential to provide employment for local people and could bring sustainable long-term economic benefits for the community. We guarantee a buy-back of RM28 per kilogram for hard-shell crab and RM15 per kilogram for soft shell, but farmers are not obliged to sell to us. If they can sell to local restaurants for a higher price, by all means, go ahead,” Zulkifle commented.

So what does a farmer get for an investment of RM6,569?

“A complete set of tank, 120 juvenile crabs and fresh fish for the crab feed. Our technical experts will also track the progress of your farm on site every two weeks,” he said.

The interview coming to an end, Zulkifle shared a crab-eating trick with me.

“You have to keep up a steady pace so somebody else doesn’t grab all the big ones.”

Those interested to attend a crab breeding course by Sama Aquaculture can contact Kamaruzzaman at 019-681 4230. The fee for the one-day course is RM270 per participant.

by Gabby Hyman

People tickle their artistic curiosity online by surfing the Web and doodling with drawing software. For some, the Internet grants them access to lurid crime sagas, intriguing details about how entrepreneurs make money, or to the latest and greatest low-fat recipes. If you're spending a near-obsessive amount of time on your favorite hobby or interest, why not create a new career and get paid for your efforts? Consider these careers that you can train for in relative comfort, online, and at your convenience.

See if the following headlines tempt you:

Home Cooking Whiz Becomes Culinary Expert

Your friends and family are awestruck by your cooking. It's not just your inventiveness and presentation, but the uncanny knack you have for creating a menu that they envy. Why stop there? Take a cooking class or, better yet, pursue a culinary school degree that offers accelerated learning and flexible schedules.

The Bureau of Labor predicts that job openings for chefs, cooks, and restaurant managers will enjoy brisk growth through the next decade. The BLS reports if you take but a few courses, you won't have to start at the bottom along with most food-preparation employees. Two and four-year culinary arts schools can hook you up with major hotels and restaurant chains, spas, resorts, and cruise lines. Get cooking!

Concerned Parents Take Education into Their Own Hands

You've watched kids all around the neighborhood come home from school looking more baffled than when they walked to the bus stop that morning. Or perhaps your son or daughter has been identified with a learning disorder and you've pitched in to help. With the Department of Labor reporting a shortage of special education teachers -- and with your own passion on fire -- why not take an online degree in education and build a second career that matters?

If you already hold a bachelor's degree, many school districts in the nation offer emergency, alternative credential programs that combine in-class experience with online teacher training. According to the Department of Labor, the middle percentage of special education teachers earned between $36,920 and $59,340 in 2004.

Detective Novel Fan Breaks into the Courthouse

You read mystery novels incessantly and peruse the top crime stories on Yahoo and other Web sites. If you could just get into the courtroom and really see what's going on! With online online legal assistant training and a paralegal degree, you'll end up in front of the bench, beside the lawyer assigned to the case.

Paralegals are in top demand as more and more law firms turn to them to handle trial and investigative preparations traditionally done by attorneys. With online paralegal training, you can prepare to work for a firm that specializes in criminal law, divorce and property settlements, drunken-driving cases, cyber crime, and high-profile lawsuits. You can earn a paralegal certificate online in a few months, or pursue a two-year or four-year paralegal studies degree online. Paralegals often work for the federal government -- the single-largest employer of legal assistants -- or with corporate legal departments and private law firms.

Doodler Creates Award-winning Online Advertisement

You hate the busy, gaudy flash ads on most of the Web sites you surf all the time. You're sure that anyone with half an artistic eye and your flair for comedy could do better. Do it! You can easily merge online Web design classes into your life -- no matter how many hours a week you work for that other job.

If you need a better reason to take online graphic design courses than that you're simply sure you can succeed, consider how much you're already needed in the profession. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that among all the new graphics job aspirants over the next decade, graphic artists with an education in Web design and animation will find the greatest number of opportunities.

Web Surfer Becomes Media Marketing Guru

It's been a hobby of yours to scour the Internet from edge to edge. You'd rather surf than sleep. You even know how certain ads find top placement on the search engines. Get paid for it! You can build a lucrative second career in media marketing through online MBA degree programs or marketing courses

By completing an online marketing degree program, you'll convert your deep knowledge of Web surfing and end-user practices to skills in search-engine optimization, ad placement, pay-per-click strategies, and other assets companies need if they're to remain competitive. Some hobby!

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A growing number of Americans have discovered the joys of working for themselves. By developing a marketable skill, you can work directly for customers and clients without having to worry about middle managers or boring company presentations. In today's increasingly flexible job market, medical careers no longer require working in hospitals, and technology degree holders can find lucrative work from their home offices.

According to government data, these five careers offer some of the easiest ways to get started with self-employment. In many cases, you can usually start earning money while completing your formal training.

1. Home Health Aide

While most home health aides spend their time working from clients' homes, this fast-growing profession combines many of the benefits of a nursing career with the flexibility of self-employment. Earning $20,000 per year or more by working part-time, a typical home health aide assists clients when he or she is not caring for family members or completing a nursing degree program.

Many states require a prospective home health aide to hold an associate medical degree, as well as a personal bond. Though some home health aids are truly self-employed, the vast majority of professionals book clients through a professional agency. Agencies provide tax withholding, bookkeeping, and business support for home health aides. Some larger agencies even provide tuition reimbursement for online health degrees.

2. Private Investigator

A criminal justice degree and a love for working unusual hours are two of the most important ingredients for a job as a private investigator. Private eyes often transition to this career during or after a similar career in law enforcement. Retired or injured police officers who cannot return to active duty often take on P.I. work to supplement pension or insurance payments.

Hard work in the field pays very well, since skip tracing and other collection activities frequently offer larger, immediate bonuses. Many private investigators earn over $32,000 per year working full-time. However, the flexibility of P.I. work allows many professionals to spend time attending law school or completing other degree programs.

3. Freelance Database Administrator

Nearly every business in America relies on a database, yet few small businesses can afford to hire a full time staff member with a technology degree. Therefore, the market for freelance database administrators has blossomed over the past ten years.

Many online technical degree programs now offer elective courses on business management and marketing for freelance professionals. Meanwhile, online technology courses help freelancers earn and maintain industry certifications. Working full time from home, some freelance database administrators earn $60,000 or more per year.

4. Personal Chef

Don't confuse today's personal chef with a nanny or housekeeper. Professional personal chefs spend their afternoons bouncing between two, three, or four home kitchens, putting their culinary degrees to work for clients. Many personal chefs earn $33,000 or more per year, without the long hours or the stress of working in a commercial kitchen.

Personal chefs are also part of another interesting trend in larger cities: personal dinner preparation centers. Customers can book time at these open, professional kitchens where chefs help prepare ingredients that can be completed quickly at home. Personal chefs often round out their schedules by teaching group culinary courses at the homes of clients or at catering facilities.

5. Graphic Designer

Thanks to new technology, a growing number of graphic designers prefer to work from home studios and keep their own hours. Some modern graphic design degree training is done on software that can run on home computers. Working from home allows many creative people the chance to complete online graphic design degrees while still earning an income of $38,000 per year or more.

Although working from home requires more discipline than working at an agency, many graphic design schools offer time management and business courses that help students prepare for the freelance life. Local graphic design colleges also sponsor exhibitions, seminars, and other social events that help professionals make valuable, personal connections.

Transitioning to Self-Employment

Many career experts recommend testing the waters before making a major career change that involves being your own boss. For example, taking a few culinary courses can help you decide whether you really have the patience and the skill to become a personal chef. Likewise, an introductory online technology course can determine whether you've got the passion to make databases your full time job.

While working independently can hold tremendous personal rewards, self-employment carries some burdens and risks. Experts encourage self-employed professionals to save at least a third of their income in a high-interest savings fund to cover emergency expenses, unexpected sick days, and income tax withholding. On the flip side, small business owners can often take tax deductions on work-related equipment and professional development programs. Enrolling in online career training courses today can help you start your own career transition.