Illegal to Crab in NYC??

[neeko]

Was out fishing this morning and got a visit from your friendly neighborhood New York City Urban Park Ranger. (NYC Parks)

I didn't have the new Saltwater License with me so he just gave me a reminder that DEC guys will ticket for that offense.

I also had a dip net with me which I walk around to get the jimmies with. But was told that it is ILLEGAL TO CRAB INSIDE NYC PARKS.

Now I've been visting and revisiting the area for years now and this is the first I've ever heard of such things.

A short visit to the NYCgovparks.org (NYC Parks and Recreation) yielded no results and no said regulations or what not.

I was also told that it is ILLEGAL TO GO CLAMMING inside NYC Parks due to the high mercury levels of such.

I can't for the life of me find any information or laws/regulations to enforce these claims within NYC Parks and I know that the DEC operates in tandem within the areas as well in regards to fishing and other recreational activities. I adhere strictly to DEC guidelines when it comes to my "ME TIME" but with all the new BS especially with the saltwater license, I don't know whats legal and whats not anymore.

Does anyone here  know of any such laws first hand ?

Thank you

[genecrabman]

Why not just go to the WYE in Maryland? Everyone else does...   Welcome to the Site...I would think the Ranger would know the law.. I think most inland waters (CREEKS) are closed to shellfish...

[Mr. Breeze]

It's possible that these fisheries are closed by the health department and not by regulation

[R D]

It's possible that these fisheries are closed by the health department and not by regulation

No crabbing allowed in a cemetery.

[headlessblade]

never heard of that law with the crabbing in parks but i know that oysters and such are off limits because of the toxin levels

[Crab Shack]

Not only is it  illegal but it usually requires a trip to the drug store afterwards.     

[neeko]

Thanks for the response!

haha. Theres this one spot owned by the parks dept where the Army Corp of Engineers recently did a water quality sample test on and it came back with perfect results.

I've been catching jimmies in this one spot for a long time already and ever since this new Urban Parks Ranger got hired, hes been on my back ever since about it being illegal and what not with no proof but word of mouth.

Its extremely frustrating that theres no wording ANYWHERE and not just that the same guy harrasses me all the time to see my fishing license. I mean the [dang] thing gets renewed annually and you looked it it last week. What are you trying to pull here? ya know what I mean?

[flounderpounder]

wow....you can get hookers , crack and robbed and murdered there but you can't crab....whats the world coming to?  oh...I guess the end according to the mayan's

[neeko]

yeap :| Guess they were on to something a LONG LONG TIME AGO.

on a side note; can you post a larger photograph of the one from your profile??!!!! that thing looks insane! Did you snag it in the net?

[ralphrepo]

Since this question was asked but left hanging a decade ago, I figure it would be nice to finally get some kind of answer, especially if new comers wanted to know the answer too. From what I've found, NYC parks prohibits the use of 'traps' to capture crustaceans. See the link:

https://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/fishing

Having said that, the general philosophy and spirit of NYC Parks in regards to wildlife, especially fishing, centers on 'catch and release' only. But no where on any web site for NYC Parks have I found anything that says the harvesting of crabs to be illegal or prohibited. Further, while use of a trap to capture crustaceans would certainly be descriptive of a box trap with doors or a crab pot; someone using an open net with a chicken neck on a string lure can be argued that it isn't anything trap like at all. And finally, in correspondence I once had with NYC Park Rangers regarding the proper method of measurement of 'keeper' crabs, the point of contention would have obviously been moot had crabbing been not allowed in city parks at all. So in the final analysis, I would say that crabbing is legal, though use of gated crab traps or pots are not. And since one does not need a salt water license (free, just register if you want one) in NY State to recreationally take crabs, then you won't ever need to show a license for it.

But, in essence, taking crabs in NYC Park waters, legal or not, I assume is rather dicey as there is a phenomenon known as Combined Sewage Overflow, in which city waters can be easily contaminated with raw sewage (ie. other people's toilet flush) whenever it rains or snows. Good luck with that.   

[Hawkeye]

more reasons for not crabbing nyc waters...

https://nypost.com/2020/04/11/decomposed-body-pulled-from-nycs-hudson-river/

https://nypost.com/2021/01/13/man-found-floating-in-east-river-was-murdered-police-sources/

https://nypost.com/2020/08/07/body-recovered-from-east-river-near-nycs-domino-park/

that's just a quick search on google...

[ralphrepo]

In an effort to get a better understanding of rules and regulations that cover crabbing on New York City Parks property I sent an email query to the NYC Parks department and after a series of back and forths, I was delighted to hear back from one Benne McCants, the Director of Parks Enforcement Patrol, Citywide Operations, who called me personally to follow up with my inquiry. He offered refreshing insight into the issue by pointing out that NYC's intent overall is to mirror the rules and regulations as detailed by New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation vis a vis Blue and other crabs. That is, regulation on minimum allowed size, daily take numbers, prohibition on egg laden females, et cetera, are exactly the same as per NYS's DEC rules.

Having said that, the only place where NYC parks differ is there is a total prohibition on use of traps, pots or snares for crustaceans while on their property. He expanded on this by saying that while crabs can be lured and landed with an open net; the net must stay open at all times during the landing (retrieval) process to afford the animal every opportunity to escape. Crab boxes (traps) with closing gates or doors that shut during the retrieval process (thus preventing escape) are not allowed. Crab pots, by their design nature, prevent escape entirely and thus are also not allowed. A Crab Snare is also disqualified as the snare employs ligature that catches tightly around a crab's appendage, preventing escape.

So yes, crabbing is perfectly legal in NYC Parks, so long as only an open net is employed (with or without a string lure). Not withstanding the other issues of water contaminant quality, I hope this clears up this question finally. Thanks for listening and happy crabbing