CAPE CHARLES, Va. — Tensions over the future of the Chesapeake Bay blue crab population boiled over last week after Virginia officials voted to lift a prohibition on winter harvesting of the crustaceans for the first time in roughly 15 years.
The Virginia Marine Resources Commission’s decision to repeal the ban drew sharp criticism from their Maryland counterparts, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation directors in both states, and regional environmentalists, according to the Washington Post. Critics argue that winter dredging jeopardizes the entire bay blue crab population and could threaten the bay’s ecosystem.
The Chesapeake Bay blue crab population is declining. This year, 317 million blue crabs were counted, compared to 323 million in 2023, according to the annual Winter Dredge Survey. This number is significantly down from the 594 million counted in 2019.
“The VMRC’s vote imperils not only the vulnerable blue crab, but the sustainability of harvests throughout the year and other species in the Bay that depend on the blue crab for food,” said Chris Moore, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s executive director on the Virginia side.
“This vote represents a major breakdown in the cooperative management of blue crabs across the Chesapeake Bay. The partnership between Virginia, Maryland, and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission has been key to maintaining a more productive and stable blue crab population,” said the foundation’s Maryland director, Allison Colden.
Zoom in: The drop in blue crab numbers is even more pronounced in the female population, which accounts for around 90% of crabs caught in winter in Virginia waters, according to the Bay Journal. Female crabs migrate south to lay their eggs in Virginia’s saltier waters. This year, there were 133 million female blue crabs, down from 152 million last year and 191 million in 2019. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation states that 215 million adult female crabs are needed for a “healthy population and sustainable harvest in the Chesapeake Bay.”
The ban on dredging for crabs between Dec. 1 and March 31 has been in place since 2008, the year the crab fishery was declared a federal disaster due to severe population decline.
The vote to allow winter dredging doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen, a spokesperson for the Virginia Marine Commission told the Baltimore Banner. Instead, the VMRC will begin researching the viability of establishing winter dredging. If implemented, it would likely be for a shorter season and with fewer participants. Additionally, crabbers in Virginia would still have to adhere to annual harvest numbers, which remain unchanged.
For further information, contact the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.
Contact: Virginia Marine Resources Commission Email: vmrc@vmrc.virginia.gov Phone: (757) 247-2200
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If there are any real journalists left in our country this would make an ideal “follow the money” story.
Dredging crabs during the Winter kills everything that’s dredged up, even the undersize throwback crabs.
Between Omega Protein and and this dimwit ruling, the Bay is in trouble.
I’d like to know who’s being paid off.