Dredged Blueclaw Crabs

[drifter33]

I recently bought some hard crabs in Ocean County. They obviously were dredged this time of year. Does anyone know where they are dredging these crabs?
I went over to Barnegat Bay (around Waretown west of the inlet) and saw no boats working. Maybe the Highlands area or down on the Delaware? Just currious, because I thought that they banned dredging years ago.

[Ron]

Dredging for crabs is not illegal in NJ.    You can even get a recreational license for it.

I know parts of the Great Egg Harbor Bay are hit hard by two small crab dredgers.

[#1 JIMMY]

There was an article recently in the Asbury Park Press about crab dredging in the New York Harbor.I dont know about eating crabs from there.There are advisories put out by New York State to limit for men and not to consume for women. See attached

http://www.app.com/story/news/local/people/2016/12/10/blue-crabs-nj-fishing/94818014/

https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/outdoors/fish/health_advisories/regional/new_york_city.htm

[Capt. Frank]

I know they do dredge in the western end of Raritan bay near entrance to Keyport and CHeesequake/Morgan Creeks

[drifter33]

Thanks guys for the info, and the NY warnings on eating them, glad I only bought 3 of them for a winter snack. Besides, at $2.50 each, I couldn't afford much more.....lol
I lived down on the Eastern Shore of VA in the 80's and a lot of the Tangier Island watermen would tie up in Cape Charles and dredge crabs between there and the Bridge/tunnel on the Chesapeake. I heard that they stopped allowing dredging down there soon after that because the dredges did too much damage to the bay bottom. And thought it was strange that they stopped it there and still allow it up here so many years later.