Outlook for 2005?

[Black Irish]

From the MD DNR website:

"Fisheries biologist Brenda Davis sent in the following report on the status of blue crabs in the Chesapeake and some of their observations. The Maryland commercial blue crab harvest for 2004 was 28.7 million pounds, an increase of nearly 4 million pounds from 2003. Harvest has been increasing each year since a low of 20.3 million pounds in 2000. The trend is encouraging, but harvest is still well below the 1990 to 1999 average of 40.4 million pounds. Most would agree that the population is stable at a low level.

Indications are that 2005 should be similar to 2004 for blue crab harvest. The winter dredge survey, which is conducted cooperatively by the MD Department of Natural Resources (MD DNR) and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), provides a Bay wide estimate of blue crab abundance. The survey will not be completed until March but early sampling has shown an increase in the number of small (< 2 ¼") crabs collected in some areas. Though blue crabs are susceptible to winter mortality from prolonged low water temperature, the increase could be a good sign for stability in blue crab harvest."

[jack1747]

Sounds like throwing the bimbo's back is working

[Crabslayer]

Sounds like throwing the bimbo's back is working

It would be interesting to know the ratio of females to males from the survey.

[Black Irish]

It would be interesting to know the ratio of females to males from the survey.

I believe the data is broken down by size and sex in the final report.

[long green crabber]

anything broken down by size and sex can`t be all bad. lgc

[Fruitland Crabber]

Its really good that the crab "population" has been gradually getting better over the last few years. I really hope this year is the same , if not better then last year

[crabbychrisNJ]

Does anyone know how to get that type of information for NJ? 

[Crabber Joe]

Does anyone know how to get that type of information for NJ? 

Forcast for NJ is probaly the same as recent years: not many crabs, most crabs are of the dwarf type and under 5"  even less crabs over 5" a few "needle in the haystack" crabs can be found over 5 inches but they are few and far in between. enjoy!

[crabbychrisNJ]

 >:(Thanks Crabber Joe.  One of these years I hope NJ can get the Mumbo's. 

[madcrab]

  And if you all believe in the Farmers Almanac....check that out when you get a chance.  Says this month and March will be colder....but come April....warmer than usual with less precip. than usual as well.  PERFECT!!!  Hope they're right!! 

[mikesr]

Crabbychris, 
 Check the NJ Dept of natural resources website.   Delaware's DNREC publishes an annual report for the Delaware Bay.  Problem is that the reports for the De river and Bay are about a year late.   2003's report for De Bay crabbing is available online in DNREC's website.

[crabbychrisNJ]

thanks Mikesr!  I will check it out.

[Joe Crabs]

Forcast for NJ is probaly the same as recent years: not many crabs, most crabs are of the dwarf type and under 5"  even less crabs over 5" a few "needle in the haystack" crabs can be found over 5 inches but they are few and far in between. enjoy!

Thank God CJ you are not a doctor, you are a depressing SOB, but you call them the way you see unfortunately you are right and probably over optimistic.

[Crabber Joe]

Thank God CJ you are not a doctor, you are a depressing SOB, but you call them the way you see unfortunately you are right and probably over optimistic.

If I was running for office I would have given you the powder coated BS version, but like you said there DR, I call them like I see um, some people like the straight truth some people & some can't bear it and want a snow job but either way I feel better with the straight up un-doctored version.  anyway thats just mho!  and I do wish it was like years ago and we had some bigger ones in jersey too!

[procrabber]

i have a big gripe about how they get the numbers from these dredge surveys. they dont match observations that appear early in the season. last year wasa slight increase over the previous year, yet last years spring run was record high all over

[mrscharms]

How can they include us recreational crabbers in this report?  I have never had the opportunity to tell how many crabs I've gotten....albeit a small number in comparison to the commercial guys...and God Bless Em...I am all for the "big guys who make a living from crabbing"....I am more interested now in the health of the bay....we have a great natural resource here...and it is very slowly recovering...just not as fast as I would like it to be...too much politics....

[procrabber]

recreationals are about 10% of the crab take. they do sample recs, but there are so many of you, they estimate the numbers.  this should be a good year as my prediction.  if you look at the catch from last year, it was up, but the number of crabbers was way down. this means that everyone who was out there did well. almost nobody complained about the catch. even recs did well last year. 

[stuff]

new jersey is going to start to tax each crab you catch at a rate of 6% of market value so that would be $1.05 a crab  just filled out a  application for a crab tax cop at a salary of 75,000 a year   

[Stevo]

new jersey is going to start to tax each crab you catch at a rate of 6% of market value so that would be $1.05 a crab  just filled out a  application for a crab tax cop at a salary of 75,000 a year   

It's a good thing King Crabber is crabbing in MD now, with crabbers like him, A Crab Tax Cop would starve to death if they get paid on the creel! 

[jack1747]

How can they include us recreational crabbers in this report?  I have never had the opportunity to tell how many crabs I've gotten....albeit a small number in comparison to the commercial guys...and God Bless Em...I am all for the "big guys who make a living from crabbing"....I am more interested now in the health of the bay....we have a great natural resource here...and it is very slowly recovering...just not as fast as I would like it to be...too much politics....

In VA:
"Any person catching finfish or shellfish using a recreational gillnet, cast net, dip net, crab pot, crab trap, crab trotline, eel pot, or any other recreational license established by Regulation 4-VAC-20-670 must report annually on forms provided by the Commission: the weight and species harvested, location of harvest, days fished and amount of gear used (click here for downloadable form; if you get a prompt for a password click cancel)  [4 VAC 20-670-40]."

[kingcrabber]

It's a good thing King Crabber is crabbing in MD now, with crabbers like him, A Crab Tax Cop would starve to death if they get paid on the creel! 

Hey Nitwit..... Da King is actually a "Super Conservationalist"  I generally leave most of da crabs in da water,where they belong 

[mikesr]

Stuff,   You were just kidding about the NJ crab tax, right?

[stuff]

just wait my friend   the worse is yet to come in this lousy state

[mikesr]

Man!  Tax per crab.   No wonder you are leaving. 

You are going to love it here.  Crabbing this year should be better than last. And last year was the best since 2001. 

I think NJ has a tax or fee on everything. Beach Tag, parking permit, crab tax, fishing license........

[crabbychrisNJ]

just wait my friend the worse is yet to come in this lousy state

I remember a few years ago NJ was voting in the legislature whether or not they should tax coupons!