The mud crab fishery in Fiji is under studied, with very little information on population status, distribution patterns, abundance, threats, and economic value. Ecological assessments are hampered by poor knowledge on habitat preferences and movement patterns of mud crabs throughout their life history, and the lack of a standardised methodology for doing stock assessments. Neither the supply chain nor the value chain of the mud crab fishery has been mapped out, described or quantified in Fiji. Mud crabs were selected for study because of the role rural women play in this fishery and its contribution to local subsistence and livelihoods. The role of women in fisheries is poorly documented and undervalued in Fiji.