Mon Oct 27 09:42:05 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the provided text, followed by a news article adaptation:

Summary:

A Chinese “hairy crab” farming community in the Jiangsu province is facing significant challenges due to increasingly extreme weather conditions, particularly unusually high temperatures and prolonged summers. These conditions are disrupting the crabs’ breeding cycles, slowing their growth, increasing bacteria in the water, and even causing death during molting. Farmers are trying various methods to mitigate the impact, but the future of the industry is uncertain if the crabs cannot adapt to the changing climate.

News Article:

Climate Change Threatens China’s Prized “Hairy Crab” Harvest

Suzhou, China – October 27, 2025 – Xie Dandan, a “hairy crab” farmer in Jiangsu province, China, along with others in her community, are grappling with the harsh realities of climate change. For the past three years, increasingly erratic weather, characterized by record-breaking temperatures and extended summers, has severely impacted the cultivation of these prized crustaceans.

The “hairy crab,” named for its distinctive furry claws, is a culinary delicacy, fetching high prices, particularly when exported to countries like Singapore and Japan. However, since 2022, farmers have struggled to maintain healthy harvests due to rising temperatures that disrupt the crabs’ molting process, encourage bacterial growth, and reduce oxygen levels in the water.

“From 2022, it feels like the weather has been getting worse every year,” said Xie Dandan, 34.

This year, hopes for a recovery were dashed as temperatures remained above 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) well into October, delaying the crabs’ maturity. Farmers have resorted to desperate measures, like dumping ice into the water, to combat the heat.

Marine environment expert Kenneth Leung from City University of Hong Kong suggests selective breeding of heat-tolerant crabs as a potential long-term solution. While authorities anticipate a harvest of around 10,350 metric tons this year, similar to previous years except for last years 9,900 tonnes, the industry faces an uncertain future.

“We only can see whether the hairy crabs will be able to adapt, and if they can’t, then maybe this industry will just be eliminated,” Xie Dandan stated. The situation highlights the vulnerability of agriculture to the escalating effects of climate change and raises concerns about the future of traditional food sources in the region.

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