State may require license for all who go crabbing

[Crabbyd]

Tighten up on the comm......ok

Tighten up the rec...not so good..........

[long green crabber]

boy,if that 65,000 folks caught as many as me and the kids,in my pier crabbin days, shucks, that estimate would be around 10,000 bu. e.g. we left many days w zero, a good day being 6 or 8.  come to think of it, hasn`t changed much.    lgc

[tattoo]

 

[Crabslayer]

Tighten up on the comm......ok

Tighten up the rec...not so good..........

And why is that?  One thing I have noticed in the past five to six years of crabbing is the EXPLOSION of recreational crabbers.  Think maybe the INTERNET had sometinh to do with it.  We won't even begin to mention the increase in out of state crabbers. 

[Seanile]

And why is that?  One thing I have noticed in the past five to six years of crabbing is the EXPLOSION of recreational crabbers.  Think maybe the INTERNET had sometinh to do with it.  We won't even begin to mention the increase in out of state crabbers. 

Rec & comm issues aside, there's no doubt that the recs have increased and the internet has played big role. DNR is attempting to get a handle on just how many crabs are taken by recs, a number that has been seriously underestimated in the past, IMO. DNR is to be applauded for at least making an attempt to obtain some realistic numbers which will obviously have a margin of error as many will not take the time to report their catch.

I understand your feelings about the out of state crabbers. We feel the same way about out of state golfers. . .  FORE !    

[125blackfire]

Rec & comm issues aside, there's no doubt that the recs have increased and the internet has played big role. DNR is attempting to get a handle on just how many crabs are taken by recs, a number that has been seriously underestimated in the past, IMO. DNR is to be applauded for at least making an attempt to obtain some realistic numbers which will obviously have a margin of error as many will not take the time to report their catch.

I understand your feelings about the out of state crabbers. We feel the same way about out of state golfers. . .  FORE !    

  hababahahaha!!!

[oldsunbear]

Yup, getting into that little old $2 tax reminds me of the crabs I put in the pot of water before it gets hot, they are so relieved to be out of my hand and into the water they just hunker down all nice and comfortable after a little noise for show. Once I turn the flame of my turkey fryer on high their a$$es are almost cooked before they even know it.

$2 bucks aint bad
what? 4 bucks this year? that aint bad
oh! six dollars this year? well ok
10 bucks this year? cr@p! alright
20 dollars this year? holy H*LL! just take it!
35 friggin dollars this year? I can't buy no bait if I pay that much! Mother of God talk to JESUS!
No recreational crabbing this year? SH*T

[BOTTOM FEEDER]

Yup, getting into that little old $2 tax reminds me of the crabs I put in the pot of water before it gets hot, they are so relieved to be out of my hand and into the water they just hunker down all nice and comfortable after a little noise for show. Once I turn the flame of my turkey fryer on high their a$$es are almost cooked before they even know it.

$2 bucks aint bad
what? 4 bucks this year? that aint bad
oh! six dollars this year? well ok
10 bucks this year? cr@p! alright
20 dollars this year? holy H*LL! just take it!
35 friggin dollars this year? I can't buy no bait if I pay that much! Mother of God talk to JESUS!
No recreational crabbing this year? SH*T

yea,...and by then their won't be any left 

[jefftoleft]

having  more licenses doesn't tell you how many crabs are being caught.  Don't be fooled whether they have a license or not they are still going to estimate what they caught instead of know what they caught.  They are playing the same game just with different rules. 

Please if you catch crabs in MD waters fill out the MD VOLUNTEER REC CRAB SURVEY.  If they are going to start making laws on estimates and not real numbers we can atleast say we tried to give them accurate numbers.  Doesn't make me feel good when they are going to start tightening regs when they are pulling numbers out of their [arse].

  This is why I posted the poll I did to see if people used that survey this year but I guess not there was 250 veiws to the post & only 22 people took the time to even vote & 2 thirds of those did'nt know about the survey.  And it was posted as a sticky at the top of the MD report page since Apr. 4 

[Mikie]

  This is why I posted the poll I did to see if people used that survey this year but I guess not there was 250 veiws to the post & only 22 people took the time to even vote & 2 thirds of those did'nt know about the survey.  And it was posted as a sticky at the top of the MD report page since Apr. 4 

NOTHING works on a volunteer basis. Give everybody who buys a license a catch report form and specify - if the form isn't completed and returned, when you try to get a license next year you will be rejected for not filing your catch report! Nothing to it, the whole system is already computerized.
And, before somebody chimes in and says they (DNR) don't have enough people to track these things - just miss a commercial catch report form one month and see how long it takes to get a little blue postcard in the mail threatening you with nonrenewal of your license for failing to file. The DNR can track whatever they choose to track without any difficulty whatsoever.

[bluecrab]

I thought if someone was homeless they were allowed to hunt anything. Can the homeless not crab for free?

[bluecrab]

Please if you catch crabs in MD waters fill out the MD VOLUNTEER REC CRAB SURVEY.  [arse].
[/quote]

Are you speaking of the online survey?
http://dnrweb.dnr.state.md.us/fish/bluecrab/default.asp

http://dnrweb.dnr.state.md.us/fish/bluecrab/register.asp

I don't take it because the site is not secure and they are asking me to pass very personal information in the clear.

I have sent them emails about it.

I wouldn't fill any of that information out online without there servers certificate.
PLUS there are other security measures not taken on that site that I am not at liberty to discuss openly.

I would rather send it through US post at this point.

[bluecrab]

Rec & comm issues aside, there's no doubt that the recs have increased and the internet has played big role. DNR is attempting to get a handle on just how many crabs are taken by recs, a number that has been seriously underestimated in the past, IMO. DNR is to be applauded for at least making an attempt to obtain some realistic numbers which will obviously have a margin of error as many will not take the time to report their catch.

I understand your feelings about the out of state crabbers. We feel the same way about out of state golfers. . .  FORE !    

And since we say that internet has done it we could say that most recs are online. Therefore the DNR needs a sound and secure technical infrastructure to count those beans.


Oh and sorry for 3 posts in a row.  I missed one whole section of the thread :/

[jefftoleft]

All they ask for is your name & an E-mail address and the state you live in

[Crabbyd]

Rec & comm issues aside, there's no doubt that the recs have increased and the internet has played big role. DNR is attempting to get a handle on just how many crabs are taken by recs, a number that has been seriously underestimated in the past, IMO. DNR is to be applauded for at least making an attempt to obtain some realistic numbers which will obviously have a margin of error as many will not take the time to report their catch.

I understand your feelings about the out of state crabbers. We feel the same way about out of state golfers. . .  FORE !    

Bruce

All these things were brought up numerous times last year at practically every meeting the DNR had but all the DNR could see was how to cut the comm fisherman trying to support his/her family.  Think back and I'm sure you will remember these same ideas about cutting the rec catch back and limiting the amount of equipment was talked about for weeks and the only change was with banning the rec from keeping females which most rec's "claim" they don't keep any anyways.  Who took the biggest hit this past year?   

[Dreampixels]

Crabbyd

    How many commercial fellas are out there crabbing? Do you think the number of bushel taken by the recs would significantly increase the lively hood of the commercial crabber if it were divided evenly between them?

    I am not asking as a wise ace, just and honest answer in your opinion. I have little idea how many crabs the recs take in total. I do know most of my crabbing is done long after the demand for the high priced bushel is over.

    I see crabs for $40 a bushel on road side stands on the way home. I tell people I work with crabbing is like any other sport, you need to enjoy the water, the out doors and so on as I could have surely bought my catch this year cheaper then catching them, but it is something I like to do, I like to spend my time like that - me the water and nature.

    I can side with the commercial guy and his costs, but I do not think eliminating the recs would help matters. I think because it is a way of life the resource would be fished into extinction in just the same matter as it is now and the time difference between recs and no recs would be null. I do not think one waterman would be significantly better off with out recs or even tough limits on recs.

    JMHO

   With all due respect sir.........................

[Seanile]

  Who took the biggest hit this past year?   

Comms, which surprised the he!! out of me after all the posturing that occurred prior to the announcement of the amended regs.  I thought recs would take a more substantial hit than what they did.

[R D]

Crabbyd

    How many commercial fellas are out there crabbing? Do you think the number of bushel taken by the recs would significantly increase the lively hood of the commercial crabber if it were divided evenly between them?

    I am not asking as a wise ace, just and honest answer in your opinion. I have little idea how many crabs the recs take in total. I do know most of my crabbing is done long after the demand for the high priced bushel is over.

    I see crabs for $40 a bushel on road side stands on the way home. I tell people I work with crabbing is like any other sport, you need to enjoy the water, the out doors and so on as I could have surely bought my catch this year cheaper then catching them, but it is something I like to do, I like to spend my time like that - me the water and nature.

    I can side with the commercial guy and his costs, but I do not think eliminating the recs would help matters. I think because it is a way of life the resource would be fished into extinction in just the same matter as it is now and the time difference between recs and no recs would be null. I do not think one waterman would be significantly better off with out recs or even tough limits on recs.

    JMHO

   With all due respect sir.........................

Thats not what he said but since you asked ...YES it would,like most of our fisherys watermen have been fishing them for 150 to over 200 years with no problems until good reliable outboards and no maintinance fiberglass boats came along and massive amounts of people hit the water in the last 30 years.
 What CrabbyD  was saying is the watermen took all the hits for the fishery being on a down turn,the recreational crabber didn't have to give up anything.We have seen it in Fla with every fishery inshore and offshore and in some cases commercial fishing has been cut out alltogether and the fishery still wont recover and continues to get worse.

[Crabbyd]

Crabbyd

    How many commercial fellas are out there crabbing? Do you think the number of bushel taken by the recs would significantly increase the lively hood of the commercial crabber if it were divided evenly between them?

    I am not asking as a wise ace, just and honest answer in your opinion. I have little idea how many crabs the recs take in total. I do know most of my crabbing is done long after the demand for the high priced bushel is over.

    I see crabs for $40 a bushel on road side stands on the way home. I tell people I work with crabbing is like any other sport, you need to enjoy the water, the out doors and so on as I could have surely bought my catch this year cheaper then catching them, but it is something I like to do, I like to spend my time like that - me the water and nature.

    I can side with the commercial guy and his costs, but I do not think eliminating the recs would help matters. I think because it is a way of life the resource would be fished into extinction in just the same matter as it is now and the time difference between recs and no recs would be null. I do not think one waterman would be significantly better off with out recs or even tough limits on recs.

    JMHO

   With all due respect sir.........................

Dreampixels

My post was not in the direction of your reply but I will answer your questions with a few more questions.

How many bushels of crabs do you think were harvested from the wye, gunpowder, and the elk rivers this past year by the average recreational crabber?  The reasons I mention these river specifically is because of the obvious crowds that these rivers seen this past year.  If I remember correctly, there were quite a few posts complaining about the lack of parking for Mariner park and the amount of crowds and complaints of crabbers setting up on top of others.  You can go to the wye river on any given day during the summer and spend 20 minutes walking from the ramp to the last truck/car and trailer parked over a mile from the ramp.  Imagine realistically how many bushels are removed from these rivers on any given day.  Do you think a species in a body of water with ever depleting habitat and the poor water quality can sustain in this environment? 

Do you think there is any correlation in the amount of pressure versus the quality (not including just size) and quantity of the average catch coming from the wye this past season let alone with the quality of the water this year at the wye?

I am not saying or proposing the elimination of the rec's to benefit the comm.  I do believe there is an issue with the numbers of crabs in the last couple of years.  I also believe it runs in cycles and is dependent upon the cycles of weather among other circumstances.  Last year with the drought, the crabs were not in the "usual" locations and the numbers were down significantly but I don't think they were gone.  In fact I know they weren't gone.  We did very well last year but we were so far up the rivers compared to previous years.  This past season, the elk and the gunpowder had banner years compared to some years in the past.  Did this have something to do with the previous year's drought.  I believe so.  Last fall there wasn't a fall run of the sooks and this year everyone up north complained about  how many huge sooks were being caught up north.  A coincidence.....don't think so.  The females never made the fall run in the numbers of past years to the mouth of the bay since the northern part of the bay had a high salinity count.  With the crabs being up so far north in the rivers and the bay, a lot of the "big" commercial fisherman with the bigger boats or the commercial potters didn't harvest as  much last year hence the commercial landings were down and looked like it was a bad year for the crabs. 

I guess the bottom line is how do you know how many are truly harvested if only one side of the players are reporting the catch?  We may all be surprised if both sides report their catches.  Even if everyone doesn't report accurate counts, it's got to be better then no reports at all.

[Dreampixels]

Thats not what he said but since you asked ...YES it would,like most of our fisherys watermen have been fishing them for 150 to over 200 years with no problems until good reliable outboards and no maintinance fiberglass boats came along and massive amounts of people hit the water in the last 30 years.
 What CrabbyD  was saying is the watermen took all the hits for the fishery being on a down turn,the recreational crabber didn't have to give up anything.We have seen it in Fla with every fishery inshore and offshore and in some cases commercial fishing has been cut out alltogether and the fishery still wont recover and continues to get worse.

I was implying the governing bodies of the industry might well look at the tally taken by recs are so limited applying regulations to them would not have insignificant results. I was being objective and not defensive. Sorry sometimes I may not be too clear in my writings.

In terms of economics, with all those boats in the hands of pleasure seekers I would guess to turn their interest away would be devastating to the local economies.

I think the proposals show an effort into finding out those recs numbers. However unless you place Crab Cop on every boat or check station at every launch you are once again dealing with the integrity of the person no matter how you police it.

When you state you yes it would I take this to be IYHO unless you have some numbers to support it.

DNR numbers 8% of the total catch over 3 or 4 years was by recs. If 92% of you water was leaking out of your water tank via one hole and  8% percent via another hole which one would you attempt fixing first for the fastest results.

I think they need the best numbers they can get and then allow the cards to fall where they may.

This is not common only to the fishing trade either, most all skilled trades has animosity between the professional and the armature.

[Seaweed]

One thing is for sure... the number of commercial crabbers is steadily decreasing, while the number of recreational crabbers is increasing, and increasing quickly.

Look on any commercial fishing website, magazine, bulletin board.... guys are selling boats, licenses, gear, everything.  Meanwhile, everyone and their grandmother wants 30 traps, 1200' of trotline, and a 16' carolina skiff.

So, if only the commercial catch is reported, and commerical crabbers are decreasing in numbers, OF COURSE the catch numbers will look "bad" because not as many people reported their catch!

Until everyone reports their catch, its all speculation, and thats no better than what we know now... the the rec catch is somewhere between 1 and 99% of the total catch   Point is, nobody knows.

[Dreampixels]

Crabbyd

I hope the above posting shows that we are in agreement...........I am not arguing....trying to find facts........both must live in coexistence.

[R D]

The local economys do suffer some when recreational fishing is restricted but only to a point,crabbing will be different as it is not much fun to catch and release crabs or just crab for one trophy crab but a lot of recreational hook n line fishery's have closed seasons and severe limits and people still go even when they can't keep any or only one,we have the same problem N MD has with lot of Ga. boats fishing here in N Fla,all we get out of most of them is the cost of the license,when they leave Ga. they have everything they need for the day on the water.

[Dreampixels]

I myself would never want to take a mans living away from him if I knew for sure I was doing so.

Remember progress retired the ditch digger with the steam shovel.

Housing replaced the small farmer - more progress.

In the end it will work out, but for sure it will not be the same as it is now for anyone.

Life has more facets then anything anyone has ever seen.

[R D]

I myself would never want to take a mans living away from him if I knew for sure I was doing so.

Remember progress retired the ditch digger with the steam shovel.

Housing replaced the small farmer - more progress.

In the end it will work out, but for sure it will not be the same as it is now for anyone.

Life has more facets then anything anyone has ever seen.

Unfortunately there are many who because they are blessed enough to be able to catch their own would put us out of business and deny those who can't catch their own from being able to eat fresh local seafood.