For the first time ever, Maryland watermen will soon be limited on how many bushels of male blue crabs they can haul daily from the Chesapeake Bay.
With populations of blue crabs at the lowest level since recordkeeping began more than three decades ago, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced that starting in July, commercial watermen will be limited to at most 15 bushels a day of male crabs in August and September.
Until now, restrictions on Chesapeake Bay blue crab harvests have been limited to females to ensure there are enough in the bay to spawn.
“For the first time ever, Maryland is placing bushel limits on male crabs in a change that underscores the need to boost overall reproduction,” Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Maryland senior fisheries scientist Allison Colden said.
In addition, the blue crab harvest will end on Nov. 30, two weeks earlier than normal, in an attempt to bolster the crab population.
This is good for a number of reasons…..
The crab population needs to recover.
There aren’t enough temporary workers to pick/clean.
Too many people on EBT cards are buying them – they should not be allowed!
Recover from what? Over the last 2 years there were no pickers and waterman were hurt. Did the crabs up and leave the bay? Now there is a supposed shortage of males? Now the waterman suffer again OR take the chance of getting caught now adhering to the new rule in the middle of summer?
Maybe relook at the way someone goes out to areas to test then says uh oh the sky is falling…every single year.
1st its alaska last summer saying NO to alaska king crabs….now MD says whoa. Well how about VA????
By the way, crabs are growing nice in the Assawoman bay. August and Sept will be grrrrrrrreat around these parts.
August? I suppose that means a drastic price INCREASE, like gas and everything…right?
Im only trying to follow the BLUE script.
Sheesh.
As always lack of MD crabs doesn’t benefit Marylanders. Never did. I just just justifies more foreigners to pick the meat for other foreigners.
Anything to put the working man into poverty. Those in power stay up all night trying to figure out more ways to widen the gap between rich and poor.