A full tank of gas on the boat costs him $95. “We have no anticipated absolute closure of the crab fishery for the commercial fisherman, for males or females,” Luisi says.īut Washington says bushel limits will reduce their earning ability on top of the major challenge gas prices are already bringing. There had been talk about an in-season closure (similar to the rockfish closure in August) but that option is off the table. Once you achieve a certain amount of male crabs, you have to stop for the day no matter how much time you have left.” “Up until now, we never had limits on the amount of males a commercial crabber can catch … We are at the point now where we are considering-and we are likely to implement-bushel limits. Michael Luisi, acting DNR Fishing and Boating Services Director, says unprecedented changes are likely. “But now each year is different because of the water quality. “Years ago, you could crab in the area for two or three months,” remembers Washington. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is floating potential blue crab management plans after crab numbers came in at a 32-year low. While his line is weighed down, his mind is, too. He spent at least a few hours attaching bait bags to the 4,800-foot line the night before our Monday morning run. He has more than 50 years on the water, so he knows where his line is despite the dark sky. With a full moon still shining, we traveled about a mile from Kent Island Yacht Club onto Prospect Bay with third-generation waterman Bobby Washington. With these potential changes looming, Bay Bulletin recentlyjoined a crabber for his morning’s work just over the Bay Bridge in Grasonville. And now’s the time to weigh in on the proposal. Maryland is now considering a first-ever bushel limit for commercial and recreational crabbers. Fishery managers in Maryland, Virginia, and the Potomac River hinted at possible season changes in response to the crab decline. When the Chesapeake Bay’s winter dredge survey results came in a month ago, it revealed the worst overall blue crab abundance in the survey’s history.
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