Just read this article in the examiner,check below.
February 28, 2008 - 10:06pm
By KRISTEN WYATT
Associated Press Writer
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Fearing blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay are dipping to dangerously low levels, Maryland fisheries managers are planning deep multiyear cuts to the commercial harvest of the Chesapeake's best-known product.
At a tense meeting Thursday night, Maryland authorities explained their proposals to about 100 crabbers. The cuts are coming because last year's harvest in Maryland was second-lowest since 1945, and scientists expect this summer's catch won't be much better.
Biologists say winter crab surveys, which aren't final yet, point to more trouble ahead.
"This is tough stuff," said Lynn Fegley, a biologist for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources who oversees the state's crab population.
Her voice at times shaking, Fegley took a somber tone as she warned the state's crabbers that blue crabs in the Chesapeake are so scarce Maryland runs the risk of overfishing crabs so badly they wouldn't be able to rebound.
"We're really doing this because we believe the Chesapeake Bay fishery is not doing well, and we want to bring it back to you," said Fegley, showing state estimates that less than 150 million adult blue crabs are living in the Chesapeake - when there were more than 450 million as recently as 1991.
If the population dips before 86 million adult crabs, Fegley warned, "you start to run the risk you're not going to have adequate crabs to reproduce."
Virginia fisheries officials have already signaled dramatic changes to their crab limits are coming.
Both states are looking at lower bushel limits, fewer recreational licenses to catch crabs, even a full ban on catching females over a certain size, maybe about 6½ inches, to give them a better chance to spawn.
"We've tried everything, but we haven't tried this," Fegley said. "We need to foster protection for those females. It's our best chance."
Virginia and Maryland haven't made final their limit decisions. The limits will be hammered out in coming weeks; commercial crab season begins March 17 in Virginia and April 1 in Maryland waters.
Crabbers who attended Thursday's meeting seemed resigned to the catch limits, but they worried the multiyear, open-ended nature of the changes Maryland is considering won't be repealed even if the fishery rebounds.
"We never get these things taken off," said Russell Dize, a crabber from Tilghman. He urged state regulators to set a population level above which the limits would be revoked.
"We would like to have some kind of commitment" to undo the limits if the population rebounds, Dize said.
"We're getting closer and closer to out of business, and this is the nail in the coffin" without an end to the limits, said Bob Evans, president of the Anne Arundel County Watermen's Association.
DNR Secretary John Griffin tried to assure watermen worried the limits will put them out of business that the changes would not be considered if they weren't absolutely necessary.
"This is an overused cliche, but we're in this together," Griffin said. "We don't exist as a department to ruin your business and your way of life."
Maryland fisheries regulators planned to announce proposed limits March 21, with a final proposal planned by mid-April. Griffin urged crabbers to look at the limits as "an opportunity to get back to where we need to be."
Crabbers, though, were skeptical.
"I'm an old fart. I may be dead before this thing comes back," grumbled Dan Beck, a crabber from Essex. --- On the Net: Md. DNR crab information:
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/dnrnews/infocus/blue-crab.asp By KRISTEN WYATT
Associated Press Writer
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Fearing blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay are dipping to dangerously low levels, Maryland fisheries managers are planning deep multiyear cuts to the commercial harvest of the Chesapeake's best-known product.
At a tense meeting Thursday night, Maryland authorities explained their proposals to about 100 crabbers. The cuts are coming because last year's harvest in Maryland was second-lowest since 1945, and scientists expect this summer's catch won't be much better.
Biologists say winter crab surveys, which aren't final yet, point to more trouble ahead.
"This is tough stuff," said Lynn Fegley, a biologist for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources who oversees the state's crab population.
Her voice at times shaking, Fegley took a somber tone as she warned the state's crabbers that blue crabs in the Chesapeake are so scarce Maryland runs the risk of overfishing crabs so badly they wouldn't be able to rebound.
"We're really doing this because we believe the Chesapeake Bay fishery is not doing well, and we want to bring it back to you," said Fegley, showing state estimates that less than 150 million adult blue crabs are living in the Chesapeake - when there were more than 450 million as recently as 1991.
If the population dips before 86 million adult crabs, Fegley warned, "you start to run the risk you're not going to have adequate crabs to reproduce."
Virginia fisheries officials have already signaled dramatic changes to their crab limits are coming.
Both states are looking at lower bushel limits, fewer recreational licenses to catch crabs, even a full ban on catching females over a certain size, maybe about 6½ inches, to give them a better chance to spawn.
"We've tried everything, but we haven't tried this," Fegley said. "We need to foster protection for those females. It's our best chance."
Virginia and Maryland haven't made final their limit decisions. The limits will be hammered out in coming weeks; commercial crab season begins March 17 in Virginia and April 1 in Maryland waters.
Crabbers who attended Thursday's meeting seemed resigned to the catch limits, but they worried the multiyear, open-ended nature of the changes Maryland is considering won't be repealed even if the fishery rebounds.
"We never get these things taken off," said Russell Dize, a crabber from Tilghman. He urged state regulators to set a population level above which the limits would be revoked.
"We would like to have some kind of commitment" to undo the limits if the population rebounds, Dize said.
"We're getting closer and closer to out of business, and this is the nail in the coffin" without an end to the limits, said Bob Evans, president of the Anne Arundel County Watermen's Association.
DNR Secretary John Griffin tried to assure watermen worried the limits will put them out of business that the changes would not be considered if they weren't absolutely necessary.
"This is an overused cliche, but we're in this together," Griffin said. "We don't exist as a department to ruin your business and your way of life."
Maryland fisheries regulators planned to announce proposed limits March 21, with a final proposal planned by mid-April. Griffin urged crabbers to look at the limits as "an opportunity to get back to where we need to be."
Crabbers, though, were skeptical.
"I'm an old fart. I may be dead before this thing comes back," grumbled Dan Beck, a crabber from Essex. --- On the Net: Md. DNR crab information:
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/dnrnews/infocus/blue-crab.asp 
