McClair and John Murphy, Morris’s crewman, flip the net to empty it onto a wide wooden platform and begin sorting on their hands and knees through an array of shells, searching for blue crabs. Also known as the Chesapeake blue crab or the Atlantic blue crab, these crabs are strong swimmerslargely due to their fifth pair of legs, which are shaped like paddles. Morris eased the throttle forward and dragged the dredge through the mud for one minute at three knots, then hauled it back up, pausing to rinse the mud out before bringing it on board. A Virginia dredge refers to an eight foot wide piece of equipment with an attached net that gets dropped into the water to dredge for crabs. They are found in coastal waters along the. A practical, entertaining, well-illustrated guide to blue crabs and crabbing along the US East and Gulf Coasts. Known as the beautiful swimmer, blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, are the most iconic Chesapeake Bay species. Roger Morris, a Dorchester County waterman who works under contract with the state’s department of natural resources, dropped a Virginia dredge off the stern of Mydra Ann, his 45-foot Bay workboat, and let the attached chain pay out until the dredge hit bottom 20-some feet below, jolting the boat. Blue Crabs: Catch ’em, Cook ’em, Eat ’em. On a recent gray January morning, they were working a section of the upper Chesapeake Bay off Rock Hall on the Eastern Shore.Ĭapt. “And that’s really just us partnering with academic institutions or other scientists in the region to identify knowledge gaps when it comes to blue crabs and help to fill those knowledge gaps,” McClair said. Welcome to Blue Crab Bay Co. They use the results to develop a management program and then they do research. Call us at 41 to place your order now.Genine McClair, who runs the Maryland Department of Natural Resource’s blue crab program, says the survey is the first of three steps. Located in the heart of the beautiful, historic district, we offer guests ample seating with scenic views overlooking breathtaking Annapolis Harbor.Ĭurb Side Pick Up / Carry Out Still Available! Check Out our Menu! Want your delicious crab a lot faster? Head to Buddy’s Crabs & Ribs right now! A Long Tradition of Excellent Food in Annapolisīuddy’s Crabs & Ribs is a family-owned and operated restaurant in Annapolis. They are also not allowed to catch sponge (egg-bearing) crabs or female peeler or hard crabs. Lastly, recreational crabbers are prohibited from selling the crabs they catch. This number is lower than the target of 196 million, but above the 72.5 million threshold that is considered to be the minimum sustainable level for female blue crabs in the Bay. Even though they have a large claim to fame, they are not the only crabs that live in the Chesapeake Bay. Between 20, the abundance of adult (age 1+) female blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay decreased 39 from 158 million to 97 million. In addition, a passenger on a vessel with a valid crabbing license won’t need their own license to crab. The Blue Crab is a keystone species, meaning that it serves as both predator and prey and the other creatures living in the Bay region are highly dependent upon their survival. Recreational crabbing in the Atlantic Ocean or in its coastal bays does not require a license. They must also have a device to prevent other creatures like turtles from going into the pot. Joel McCord Crewmen John Murphy and Genine McClair sort through shells collected for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources looking for blue crabs from the Chesapeake Bay for the annual survey. All pots need to have the owner’s name and address clearly labeled. Roger Morris holds out a blue crab from the Chesapeake Bay dredged in January. Those crabbing on their own waterfront property do not need a license for utilizing a maximum of two registered crab pots. Licensed crabbers can catch a maximum of one bushel of hard crabs or 24 soft crabs or male peelers. In any case, a license is required if your catch will exceed 24 hard crabs or a dozen peelers or soft crabs. Click on the link below.Īs a recreational crabber, you will be required to get a license if you’re going to use eel pots, net rings, collapsible crab traps, seines or trotlines. Maryland’s Rules & Regulationsīefore you get out there crabbing on April 1st, Maryland DNR requests that you review our state’s blue crab rules and regulations. Picking crab is an enjoyable summer activity that so many of us love. However, spring is well on its way, and the official opening of the blue crab season is almost upon us.Īs they do every year, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has recently announced that commercial and recreational crabbing can begin on Saturday, April 1 for the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay areas.Ĭitizens of the Free State look forward to April Fool’s Day like no other because the start of the blue crab season has been a beloved Maryland tradition for many years. The typical early April weather in Maryland is usually not the time to put on our swim trunks and bikinis.
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