A Revolutionary Step Forward for Global Aquaculture
Singapore-based aquaculture innovator is set to transform the global crawfish industry with plans to build the world’s first specific pathogen free (SPF) modular hatchery, capable of producing 300,000 crawfish fries per day. As regional demand for crawfish surges, Singapore Crawfish Pte Ltd believes their breakthrough technology is the solution the industry has been waiting for.
🦞 Addressing the Industry’s Biggest Pain Points
Crawfish farming has grown rapidly worldwide, but two persistent challenges continue to hold farmers back:
- Limited breeding knowledge
- High labour demands, especially when separating fragile fries from adults to prevent cannibalism
Since 2018, Singapore Crawfish has been on a mission to solve these problems. After years of experimentation, setbacks, and rigorous testing, the team—led by founder Mr. Desmond Chow and supported by international scientists—successfully developed the Auto Birthing System (ABS) in 2020.
The ABS is a patented, modular, space-efficient, and highly scalable hatchery system that dramatically improves fry survival rates while reducing the need for specialised labour.
🚀 Introducing the Auto Birthing System (ABS)
On the outside, the ABS may look like neatly aligned rows of tanks. But inside, it’s a controlled, intelligently designed breeding environment where genetically selected male and female crawfish are maintained at the perfect ratio, fed specialised nutrition, and supported by a self-contained recirculating aquaculture system (RAS).
The ABS directly solves the five biggest challenges of traditional crawfish hatcheries:
- High setup and operating costs
- Intense labour required to manually extract fries
- High fry mortality when mishandled
- Inconsistent production levels
- Difficulty scaling up or down
“Our system eliminates unnecessary stress on the adult crawfish and the eggs,” says Chow. “Traditional extraction methods can result in mortality rates as high as 80%. ABS ensures a much more reliable and efficient hatching process.”
🧪 A Science-Driven Approach to Faster Growth & Higher Yield
A key element of the ABS’s success lies in Singapore Crawfish’s proprietary feed formula, developed after years of hands-on experimentation. According to Chow, the specialised feed:
- Boosts growth rates by up to 100%
- Encourages higher mating frequency
- Increases egg production by up to 200%
- Preserves water quality
The team’s research traces back to their humble beginnings in 2018 when they filled an office with 50 aquariums and tested countless combinations of raw ingredients—from chicken hearts to lettuce and even durians.
📦 A Modular System Built for Global Expansion
The beauty of the ABS lies in its modularity. Farmers can stack or upgrade the system anytime, without operational downtime or technical expertise. Singapore Crawfish even provides bi-annual maintenance to ensure consistent performance.
Designed especially for commercial farms needing predictable output, the entry-level ABS franchise—priced at USD $1,000,000—can conservatively produce 20,000 fries per day (7.3 million annually), enabling investors to break even in as little as 18 months.
With international pre-orders already open, each ABS hatchery is delivered within 30 days and assembled with assistance from local contractors.
🌍 Transforming Aquaculture—One Country at a Time
The company plans to award a limited number of main and sub-franchises per country to prevent market saturation. Early adopters, like Malaysia-based farmer Low, believe the ABS will have a significant impact—especially in emerging markets such as Malaysia where crawfish demand is rising rapidly.
Singapore Crawfish is also collaborating with leading global genetic firms to develop stronger, faster-growing, and more resilient crawfish strains, including those tolerant to fluctuating temperatures and pH levels.
💰 Looking Ahead: Funding Innovation for the Future
To accelerate R&D for their ABS technology, improve genetic breeding programs, and explore new product development, Singapore Crawfish is currently seeking SGD 4 million in funding.
Chow sums it up best: “Our goal is to reshape crawfish aquaculture worldwide—making it accessible, scalable, and sustainable for farmers at every level.”