Nairobi, March 31 -- On the picturesque shores as you approach Pate from Lamu Island, you are met by a series of floating cages bobbing gently on the water's surface near a patch of mangrove forest.

Here, amid the rhythmic ebb and flow of the ocean, a group of youth tend the cages. These cages house large crabs at different stages of growth and the youth's sole duty is to ensure that the crabs attain the market-ready weight, through a specialised feeding regimen designed to grow them in size and weight to meet some special market requirements.

These crustaceans are not merely held in captivity but nurtured and fattened with care, transforming them into a prized commodity sought after by discerning buyers for export.

Swaleh Abdalla, one...