The Maryland Department of Natural Resources' annual winter dredge has revealed that Chesapeake Bay's blue crab population has increased by 35 percent within the last year. This suggests a plentiful crab season is ahead.
Characterized by bright blue claws and an olive green shell, blue crabs are an iconic species in the Chesapeake Bay.
The dredge showed that there are more than 550 million blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay. This is the fourth highest level in two decades and builds on last year's 38-percent boost in crab numbers from the prior year.
What's more is that the spawning female stock increased from 101 to 194 million, and the adult male stock more than doubled from 44 to 91 million - the second highest levels since 1995.
"Due to a milder winter, favorable currents and tides, and wise bay-wide management measures, the Maryland crab population continues to rebound and strengthen," Fisheries Service Director Dave Blazer said. "With an increase in abundance and steady recruitment, we fully anticipate a robust crab season this year."
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Virginia Institute of Marine Science have conducted annual blue crab population surveys since 1990. From December through March, biologists capture, measure, record and release blue crabs at 1,500 sites throughout the bay area. Researchers survey populations during the winter because that is when blue crabs tend to bury themselves in the mud for the season.
Now, officials plan to assess whether the results from this year's dredge warrant looser harvest restrictions or perhaps even a longer crabbing season. Even still, they noted that the state must be cautious when making any changes to crab regulations, as the population increase doesn't completely eliminate concerns regarding the health and reproduction of blue crabs.
In 2015, the Chesapeake Bay harvest yielded some 50 million pounds, which represented a 42 percent increase from the year before. However, with a subsequent increase in crab numbers, the bay's populations remained at sustainable levels for the eighth consecutive year. Therefore, it is believed that a slight increase in harvest limits for female crabs would be acceptable this summer.
"Our experts will now discuss the survey results with our internal and external stakeholders," Blazer added. "Any modest adjustment to the current regulations, be it season length or bushel limit, will be considered only after the department receives input from all parties."
