A recent assessment funded by NOAA Marine Debris Program of the ecological and economic impacts of derelict fishing gear in the Chesapeake Bay estimated that abandoned crab pots catch more than 6 million blue crabs annually, killing more than half … Continued
The Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) voted in June to modify several of the state’s commercial crabbing restrictions. For 2016, the fall commercial crab season will be extended by three weeks to December 20, 2016. The 2017 spring season will … Continued
A recent blue crab advisory report encourages resource managers to maintain a “risk-averse” approach to setting regulations in order to promote healthy numbers of the Chesapeake Bay’s crabs in the future. The 2015 Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Advisory Report was … Continued
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently announced results of the 2015 Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey results. The abundance of spawning-age females was 101 million, substantially higher than 2014 when adult females were considered depleted. The number of … Continued
The recently released 2014 Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Advisory Report encourages fishery managers around the Chesapeake Bay to take a risk-averse approach to blue crab management this year, due primarily to a decrease in the number of female crabs in … Continued