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May 24, 2021
MARYLAND – A recent survey found that there are only 282 million blue crabs currently in the Chesapeake Bay, that’s according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, 2021 Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey. “We’ve been through this before many times. Sometimes crabbing starts early, sometimes it don’t,” says Bob Whaples, President of the Dorchester County Waterman Association.
When crabbers first saw the survey, they say they thought it was good news since there would reportedly be an abundance of female crabs. However, that doesn’t change the fact that there are a significantly lower amount of juvenile crabs. Crab experts say, this is creating a major shortage throughout the state. “We were kind of unsure what was happening but we know that it’s been very well behind and we didn’t really understand why,” says Josh Parker, owner of TL Morris Seafood in Cambridge, MD.
May 25, 2021
Could we be in for a summer without crabs in the DMV?
According to a Maryland Department of Natural Resources 2021 Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey, the local crab population has reached a 14 year low. They estimate that the current number of crabs in the Chesapeake Bay is right around 282 million, down from 405 million last year, and 594 million the year before. Juvenile crabs are even worse off, they ve hit a 31 year low.
However, there is a little bit of good news, the number of spawning age females has increased to 158 million, well above the 72.5 million threshold. Females bigger than 2.4 inches can potentially produce this year, which is an important indicator of the health of the stock.
Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Population Shows Healthy Female Abundance
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced the results of the 2021 Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey, a cooperative effort with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, which annually estimates the number of blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay.
The 2021 results showed that the spawning age female abundance increased from 141 million spawning age female crabs in 2020 to 158 million spawning age female crabs. This year’s survey estimate is above the long-term average of 126 million spawning age female crabs.
“Protecting spawning age females is a critical component to maintaining a healthy and sustainable blue crab population,” Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio said. “We are pleased to report that the cooperative management efforts of our Chesapeake Bay jurisdictions have continued to conserve female crabs within a healthy range.”
Chesapeake Bay blue crab survey shows mixed results
From Staff Reports
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The annual survey of blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay showed a mixed bag, with the population of mature female crabs up while juvenile crab numbers declined to the lowest level since the survey began in 1990.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced the results of the 2021 Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey, a cooperative effort with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, which annually estimates the number of blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay.
The survey results showed that the number of spawning age mature female crabs increased from 141 million in 2020 to 158 million in 2021. This year’s survey estimate is above the long-term average of 126 million spawning age female crabs, DNR said in a release.