Keeping female crabs

[vwcrabby]

Is it legal to keep female crabs

[CaptMoose]

In NJ it is legal to keep females.

[Hawkeye]

sticky this...

[Capt. Frank]

This site it's disputed on moral basis.  But legal yes you may keep females as long as they are large enough ( like the males size limits) and do NOT have egg sacks or sponges underneath ready to lay eggs.

Is it legal to keep female crabs

[Crab Nebula]

sticky this...

X2!!! 

[r_ventura_23]

Throw them back please.  One female crab is capable of spawning millions of crabs.

[tattoo]

X 2

[CrabberGrabber]

If the state commission in charge of monitoring the animal says it's okay to take females, then it's okay to take females.  If you are arguing that you are simply arguing on emotion and not science.  Crabs are a species that relies on having massive numbers of eggs to continue their species.  The small amount of female crabs taken by crabbers is such a small drop in the bucket that it's pointless to argue it.  Just my two cents.

[Ron]

If the state commission in charge of monitoring the animal says it's okay to take females, then it's okay to take females.  If you are arguing that you are simply arguing on emotion and not science.  Crabs are a species that relies on having massive numbers of eggs to continue their species.  The small amount of female crabs taken by crabbers is such a small drop in the bucket that it's pointless to argue it.  Just my two cents.

 

[Crab Nebula]

If the state commission in charge of monitoring the animal says it's okay to take females, then it's okay to take females.

x1,000,000

That IS the bottom line, isn't it?

[genecrabman]

Throw them back please.  One female crab is capable of spawning millions of crabs.

Throw that Male back too..........Without the males they'll be no Babies too...SMH

[r_ventura_23]

No. 

[r_ventura_23]

Throw that Male back too..........Without the males they'll be no Babies too...SMH

This is a stupid statement.  One male crab can impregnate multiple females.

[Ron]

This is a stupid statement.  One male crab can impregnate multiple females.

Yet in the states of Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts there are no harvest prohibitions sooks (other than egg sack carriers.)   Three of those states not even have a minimum size requirement to take a sook.

[r_ventura_23]

It is legal.  But one day the same people keeping females are going to cry about the lack of crabs.  People used to keep tons of herring, winter flounder, weakfish etc.  Look what has happened to those populations.  I don't think you can even keep a herring now.  You can keep two winter flounder and only one weakfish.

Everybody should do their part to make sure the crabbing population thrives for future generations.  If you catch 52 crabs with two being females, do you really need to keep them.  Isn't 50 enough?

[Ron]

It is legal.  But one day the same people keeping females are going to cry about the lack of crabs.

Speculation with no historical facts or data to indicate that will come to fruition.

People used to keep tons of herring, winter flounder, weakfish etc.  Look what has happened to those populations.  I don't think you can even keep a herring now.  You can keep two winter flounder and only one weakfish.

None of these examples have the spawning potency of crabs.   State agencies also adjusted regs in response to stock surveys.

Everybody should do their part to make sure the crabbing population thrives for future generations.  If you catch 52 crabs with two being females, do you really need to keep them.  Isn't 50 enough?

It's up to the individual crabber, which is their right under the regulations.   I personally enjoy sooks.   They are tasty.

[Edaoud]

x1,000,000

That IS the bottom line, isn't it?

X1,000,000 X2 

[Edaoud]

If the state commission in charge of monitoring the animal says it's okay to take females, then it's okay to take females.  If you are arguing that you are simply arguing on emotion and not science.  Crabs are a species that relies on having massive numbers of eggs to continue their species.  The small amount of female crabs taken by crabbers is such a small drop in the bucket that it's pointless to argue it.  Just my two cents.

[riverpop]

A female only has to mate once (only possible as a soft shell) , she can store the semen for her entire life and have multiple pregnancies..
I personally take female sooks (2 year olds) late in the year- after september. so I basically avoid a 2 year old sook from May- Sept.
Most North Jersey crabbers were taught this by our dads.
I have been blessed year after year with not needing to take many females.
They are tasty, and i look forward to a few late in the year.

After reading line 1- you can see that the species was given a unique ability to procreate- 1 female does the work of many over her life.
If for some odd reason in the future, only females were harvested, then I believe we would have a problem.
In my mind, giving the female sook the May- Sept. to become impregnated, is good crab management in an area that is not abundant in crab.

[r_ventura_23]

Even though I still will never keep a female.....Thank you for doing your best to help preserve the crabbing population.  Keeping just a few at the end of the year is much better than what many people on this site are keeping.

Hopefully people will follow your lead.