An annual survey of the Chesapeake Bay has found the blue crab population at its lowest level since scientists began tracking the beleaguered species more than 30 years ago.
The finding is expected to set off discussions about whether to tighten restrictions on crab harvests, such as what size crabs commercial watermen can legally collect, how many female crabs they can harvest and what hours they can spend crabbing. Crab season technically began April 1 but does not get going in earnest until waters are warm enough for the crustaceans’ liking — about 58 degrees, at least.
The continued struggles for the state’s signature shellfish come weeks after more promising news on the bay’s other popular seafood export, with Maryland’s largest harvest of wild oysters reported since 1987, but show the difficulties of managing species whose welfare depends not just on harvest pressures but on the whims of winds and weather.
