Advocating Against Commercial Crabbing on the Shrewsbury River

[Arbutis]

Subject: Request for Assistance in Advocating Against Commercial Crabbing on the Shrewsbury River

Dear Ron @ bluecrab.info,

I hope this message finds you well. My name is Doug Peterson, and I am a resident of Oceanport, New Jersey. I am deeply concerned about the impact of commercial crabbing on the Shrewsbury River, which I believe is adversely affecting local recreational crabbers and the sustainability of the crab population.

I am seeking assistance from experienced professionals to help advocate for making commercial crabbing illegal on the Shrewsbury River. Specifically, I need help with:

Researching and gathering data on the impact of commercial crabbing and the sustainability in a particular size body of water like the Shrewsbury River.
Engaging the local community and raising public awareness.
Drafting a formal proposal and contacting local government officials.
Managing media outreach and public relations.
I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss how your expertise and services might support this cause.

Thank you for considering my request.

[Wallco99]

Subject: Request for Assistance in Advocating Against Commercial Crabbing on the Shrewsbury River

Dear Ron @ bluecrab.info,

I hope this message finds you well. My name is Doug Peterson, and I am a resident of Oceanport, New Jersey. I am deeply concerned about the impact of commercial crabbing on the Shrewsbury River, which I believe is adversely affecting local recreational crabbers and the sustainability of the crab population.

I am seeking assistance from experienced professionals to help advocate for making commercial crabbing illegal on the Shrewsbury River. Specifically, I need help with:

Researching and gathering data on the impact of commercial crabbing and the sustainability in a particular size body of water like the Shrewsbury River.
Engaging the local community and raising public awareness.
Drafting a formal proposal and contacting local government officials.
Managing media outreach and public relations.
I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss how your expertise and services might support this cause.

Thank you for considering my request.

Are you the former Eagles head coach, now employed by the Jacksonville Jaguars?

[Capt. Debbie]

I've been on the two rivers since the 60's even when Chris's Landing in SB was a real thing.    We can argue all day about causation of crappy years. I think it's more complicated than that.  How about limiting rec crabber jugged traps? Or how about a TOTAL ban on everyone crabbing to restore the stock?

Would it make sense to instead limit the number of commercial traps per licensee?  They already limit the number of NJ Comm Crabber licenses.   So as not to deprive people of an honest and hard living?

Just my two cents.  There used to be people on this site posting multiple bushels per trip just to give the crabs away.  In fact they proudly posted dockside pics on this site bragging about their gluttony.

Yes- Its complicated.  Be careful what you ask for- as they say.

[Arbutis]

Over the past 3 years it's just been totally inundated with commercial trap buoys.  Hundreds and hundreds of them.  And they come every day to harvest and re-bait and just leave all of their gear out there all summer into November.  For such a small body of water there's no way this can be sustainable.  These 3 or 4 guys benefiting from this entire system and not caring about the environmental impact in an area the size of the Shrewsbury.  When you decimate one key link in the food chain like this - with the artificial human intervention of commercial crabbing - it's likely to have a long term negative effect on many many more things than just the crabbing. 
And once it's cleaned out, these guys will just pick up their stuff and move on to the next area - leaving my home water a crab desert.  Very unhappy about this.

[#1 JIMMY]

Well said. I too like you have been crabbing the river for a long time. Each year the crabbing gets worse. Plus the crabs I have been catching are barely legal size. The crabs don't get the chance to grow. Besides affecting the crabbing the commercial gear is a navigational hazard. Two weeks ago near Little silver creek there were at least 2 hundred pots each on its own float. Someone is going to get hurt if at night they navigate through that bunch of pots. I guess they are allowed to fish that many pots. I am going to check the state regs of this.

[Arbutis]

I'm not sure of exactly how many commercial guys are crabbing in the Shrewsbury but a source last year told me 4.  And they are, by law, allowed to have 400 traps each - although I don't think there are nearly that many.  If you find out anything different then let me know.  Thanks for the reply.

[Wallco99]

Come to Maryland. The crabs are BIGGER and BETTER anyway.

[Capt. Debbie]

[
Loved Cobb Island, MD and the Wicomico River crab-cation I had

quote author=Wallco99 link=topic=103842.msg865492#msg865492 date=1718063212]
Come to Maryland. The crabs are BIGGER and BETTER anyway.
[/quote]

[fgreco]

Well said. I too like you have been crabbing the river for a long time. Each year the crabbing gets worse. Plus the crabs I have been catching are barely legal size. The crabs don't get the chance to grow. Besides affecting the crabbing the commercial gear is a navigational hazard. Two weeks ago near Little silver creek there were at least 2 hundred pots each on its own float. Someone is going to get hurt if at night they navigate through that bunch of pots. I guess they are allowed to fish that many pots. I am going to check the state regs of this.

The number of crab pots in the Navesink River has gotten out of control.  I can no longer fish in my favorite spots (over the past 25 years) due to many dozens of crab traps set.  There should be a limit on how many traps per crabber per unit area.  They have the ability to own several hundred traps, but you cannot just put dozens of them in popular recreational fishing and pleasure boating sections of the river.  In the evening and at night, it is impossible for a boat to see these markers which makes it very dangerous.  I'm certainly not against people making a living, but other people want to enjoy the river safely.  Does anyone know who can I contact to voice a formal complaint?

[Capt. Debbie]

Pull up one or two traps and leave a note inside.  They will find you.  LOL  Just a thought.