Chesapeake Bay News

An important new scientific assessment of the Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab stock has been released by the federal government, setting higher abundance thresholds and crab population targets that will dictate how the agency manages the fisheries in the years to come.

A new scientific assessment of the Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab population indicates significantly more work needs to be done to fully rebuild the stock to sustainable levels. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration assessment,  although the stock has increased substantially in response to three years of rebuilding efforts by Virginia, Maryland and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission, the stock was more depleted than originally believed and will take longer to rebuild than had been expected.

The assessment, which sets a new overfishing threshold as well as a new safe abundance level for female crabs, took three years to complete and represents the best available science on the stock’s reproductive capabilities, lifespan, gender and size distributions. The assessment underwent rigorous scientific scrutiny in a peer review by Dr. Julian Addison of France, Dr. Cathy Dichmont of Australia and Dr. Billy Ernst of Chile.

Until now, fishery managers used an interim target of 200 million total adult crabs in the bay as the threshold of a healthy stock and considered overfishing to occur if 53 percent of adult (age 1+) crabs were harvested in a year. Regulations were established to meet these benchmarks, which were based on 2005 bay-wide crab assessment data.

The new stock assessment sets a new healthy-species abundance level of 215 million female crabs, with overfishing occurring if 34 percent of the female crabs are harvested in a year.  Put into context, this means that fishery managers have only come close to achieving this level of female abundance three times over the past 22 years, in 2010, 1993 and 1991.

These more stringent assessments of the stock’s health will allow fishery managers to set more precise female harvest limits in order to fully rebuild the stock.  Virginia, Maryland and the PRFC remain committed to working together to rebuild the bay’s crab population to meet the new female population threshold and abundance target.

In September the Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee will meet to consider the new assessment, examine data from the past two years and provide management recommendations to Maryland, Virginia and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission.

The bay-wide crab harvest in 2010 was in the 90 million-pound range, confirming that a healthy harvesting industry can coexist with regulations designed to rebuild a self-sustaining, healthy blue crab population.

Through a historic collaboration in 2008, Maryland, Virginia and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission took strong, coordinated action to reduce harvest pressure on female crabs by 34 percent. At that time, scientists deemed conservation measures necessary as blue crab suffered near historic lows in spawning stock.

“Overall, crabs in the bay are doing well. Implementing recommendations developed in the stock assessment, like focusing fishing regulations on female crabs, will help even more,” said Dr. Tom Miller, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, lead author of the stock assessment.

The stock assessment can be viewed in its entirety at http://hjort.cbl.umces.edu/crabs/Assessment.html

source: Virginia Marine Resources Commission/Maryland Department of Natural Resources

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) fisheries service will increase the commercial crab daily catch limits for female crabs this fall. DNR fisheries managers made the decision after they determined that the increase will have no negative impact on rebuilding the blue crab population.

For 2011 DNR will increase daily female catch limits between September 1 and November 10. A crabber with a Limited Crab Catcher License will be allowed to land 12 bushels a day; an increase of two bushels over the same period last year. Crabbers holding more extensive licenses will see comparable increases based on their license levels.

This decision comes on the heels of the 2011 Blue Crab Winter Dredge survey, which showed that the Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population is at its second highest level since 1997 and well above the target for the third year in a row, setting the stage for a Bay-wide recovery. The results of the survey indicate

that management measures put into place regulating the female blue crab population in 2008 are continuing to pay dividends and harvest levels have been below the established 46 percent target level for two consecutive years.

All other commercial and recreational crabbing regulations for 2011, in both the Chesapeake Bay and Maryland’s coastal bays, will remain the same. Commercial crabbers in the Chesapeake Bay will continue to abide by strict daily female catch limits, and the commercial harvest of female crabs is prohibited June 1-15 and November 11- December 15.

source: MD DNR

According to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, watermen succeeded in hauling up more than 10,000 derelict so-called “ghost pots,” lost fishing nets, and assorted metal junk from the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries in the third year of Virginia’s one-of-a-kind Marine Debris Removal Program.

The program, funded by NOAA through the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and administered by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, paid the watermen to use side-imaging sonar units to detect and retrieve lost or abandoned crab pots and other marine debris that litter the Bay floor. The 70 watermen participants were paid $300 a day, and were compensated for their fuel costs.

VIMS scientists  have analyzed the program’s accomplishments in its third year and discovered:

• A total of 9,970 derelict crab pots were recovered, along with 52 lost nets and 532 other pieces of junk, including a jon boat, a portable generator frame, and a large metal crate used to transport hunting dogs.

• Many of the recovered pots had been derelict for several years, and continue to inadvertently trap and kill crabs and a variety of fish and wildlife.

• The recovered crab pots were found to have captured over the winter more than 11,000 animals, including thousands of crabs, as well as turtles, fish, eels, and whelks. Scientists have determined that each functional lost crab pot can capture about 50 crabs a year.

Ongoing research at VIMS funded through NOAA’s Marine Debris Program suggests 20 percent of all the crab pots set in a year are lost, primarily due to storms or boat propellers that accidentally cut the pots free from their buoys.

The marine debris removal was the first, and is the largest program of its kind in the country. The program costs roughly $1 million a year. It is funded by NOAA through blue crab disaster funds made available to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. VIMS handled the daily operation of the program and supervision of the participating watermen. The program ran from December through March 15.

Recovered ghost pots and other debris were GPS-located and photographed, and participant boat tracks were also recorded. All marine debris were disposed of in a safe and environmentally conscious manner or recycled.

Since the Marine Debris Removal Program began in December 2008, more than 28,000 lost or abandoned crab pots have been removed from the water, as well as 150 lost fishing nets and 1,300 pieces of assorted metal junk. More than 27,000 animals, many already dead, were found in crab pots retrieved since 2008.

This year’s haul of marine debris was more than in either of the last two years.

More information on the program’s results can be found on the program’s website http://ccrm.vims.edu/marine_debris_removal/index.html

source: VMRC

Virginia and Maryland fishery managers  have released results of the 2011 Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey.  The study found that the Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population is at its second highest level since 1997 and well above the target for the third year in a row.

Overall crab abundance, however, declined due to this past winter’s deep freeze that killed as many as 31 percent of Maryland’s adult crabs, compared to about 11 percent in 2010.

At 460 million crabs, the Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population is at its second highest level since 1997, and nearly double the record low of 249 million in 2007. And, for watermen across the Bay, the unusually high crab abundance last year translated into a harvest of more than 89 million pounds — the highest since 1993.

Commenting on the winter kill,  Steven G. Bowman, Commissioner of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission remarked: “We cannot control the weather. It was a harsh winter and crab mortality was higher than normal. In fact, it was the worst we’ve seen since 1996.”

“This drop in abundance should be viewed as a speed bump in our stock rebuilding program, and just means it will take a bit longer to get to where we want to be with a stabilized crab stock of high abundance,” Commissioner Bowman added.” Some stock management challenges remain, but the evidence shows we’re going in the right direction.”

According to the survey, 254 million adult crabs survived the bitter cold winter in the Chesapeake, above the current population target for the third year in a row. This marks the first time since the early 1990s that the Bay has seen three consecutive years with the adult population was above the target (200 million crabs) and the harvest was below the target of 46 percent.

Estimates of abundance are developed separately for young of the year crabs, mature female crabs, and adult male crabs. Together, these groups of crabs will support the 2011 fishery and produce the next generation of crabs

In 2008, Maryland, Virginia and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission took action to reduce harvest pressure on female crabs by 34 percent. At that time, scientists deemed conservation measures necessary as blue crab suffered near historic lows in spawning stock.

“The coordinated management of blue crabs since 2008 clearly demonstrates the conservation gains that can be achieved when Chesapeake Bay jurisdictions act collectively toward a common vision – in this case a healthy blue crab population and sustainable fishery, said Peyton Robertson, director of the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office.

In September 2008, NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service responded to Virginia’s and Maryland’s request for disaster assistance funding for watermen impacted by the declining blue crab population.

The primary assessment of the Bay’s blue crab population is conducted annually by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS).  Since 1990, the survey has employed crab dredges to sample blue crabs at 1,500 sites throughout the Chesapeake Bay from December through March. By sampling during winter when blue crabs are buried in the mud and stationary, scientists can develop, with good precision, estimates of the number of crabs present in the Bay.

“The overall crab abundance is down a bit from what it was last year at this time, but let’s keep that in context. We saw a huge bay-wide harvest in 2010, the largest since the early 1990s, and despite that the stock abundance continues to be higher than we’ve seen in many, many years,” Travelstead said.

source: Virginia Marine Resources Commission

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR)has announced that it is offering to buy and permanently retire Unlimited Tidal Fish (TFL) and Crab Harvester (CB) commercial fishing licenses on a voluntary basis from holders who may or may not be currently active in commercial crabbing or fishing.

The first phase of the effort to reduce latent crabbing pressure was a voluntary DNR buyback of commercial Limited Crab Catcher (LCC) licenses which ran from July 2009 until March 11, 2011. The effort resulted in the purchase and retirement of nearly 700 licenses.

On March 1, 2011, DNR mailed buyback information packets including bid forms to all TFL and CB license holders who may choose to accept a certain base price or take a chance that there will be funds available at the end of the program to be paid a higher price. The base and optional high prices are based on license types. The offers range from a base price of $4,000 for a 300-pot CB license to a high potential price of $12,000 for a TFL with a 900 crab pot authorization. License holders may also choose to pass on the offer.

According to DNR, The agency is not planning any action that would impact individuals who choose not to participate in this program.

DNR will buy all licenses offered at the base price first. If funds remain after the initial phase, DNR will randomly select, in a public drawing, licenses to be purchased at the higher price.

TFL and CB license holders interested in selling their licenses to DNR must return their bid forms to the postmarked by Friday April 15, 2011 in order to participate.

Buyback program information, bid forms, and the price structure are posted on the DNR website at http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/commercial/index.asp

Interested license holders may also call the crab hotline at 410-260-8286 for more information.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is ending the Limited Crab Catcher (LCC) commercial license buyback program after retiring nearly 700 LCC licenses in about a year and a half. DNR is no longer offering to purchase LCC licenses as of March 11, 2011.

The program reduced the number of commercial crabbing licenses in order to ensure effective management of a sustainable blue crab fishery. Last year, DNR’s winter dredge survey showed a dramatic 60 percent increase in Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population.

DNR bought back LCC licenses for $2,360 beginning in August 2009. Funding for the program came from a Federal Blue Crab Fishery Disaster Grant. The funds were issued by NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service.

Any LCC license holder wishing to sell their license to the state may do so at any DNR Licensing Center until 4:30 p.m. on March 11. No paperwork claiming to accept DNR’s offer to buy an LCC license will be valid after this time.

source: MD DNR

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds watermen and license holders that the August 31 deadline to submit a bid for the commercial Limited Crab Catcher (LCC) License Buy-Back Program is fast approaching. This voluntary program is in keeping with DNR’s effort to effectively manage Maryland’s blue crab population. Crabbers may receive $2,260 per license, and DNR’s goal is to permanently buy back 2,000 of the latent and active 3,676 LCC licenses.

DNR implemented the buy-back program in response to public feedback. Support for the program came from $15 million in Federal Crab Disaster Funds obtained through the efforts of U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski and the Maryland Delegation to help watermen and to foster restoration solutions for the crabbing industry in Maryland.

Since July 2009, 650 crabbers have sold their licenses back to the state. DNR will continue to buy LCC licenses until the funds earmarked for this purpose run dry or are needed for other crab disaster projects.

Inactive licenses are those with no reported harvest between April 1, 2004 and December 15, 2008. In February 2010, a regulation went into effect requiring inactive license holders to declare their LCC to be male-only or frozen. The purpose of that regulation was to prevent inactive licenses from placing additional harvest pressure on female crabs. This regulatory action clarifies which individuals with a male-only or frozen LCC license can upgrade to an unlimited Tidal Fish License (TFL).

DNR has determined that upgrades by these individuals will not compromise the management objective. Only those individuals who met the requirements by April 6, 2010 are allowed to use a male-only or frozen LCC license to upgrade to a TFL beginning in the 2011 renewal period.

Renewal of LCC licenses must be made by March 2011 or they will automatically revert back to the State at no charge. The penalty for a late renewal is $50, but an LCC license does not need to be renewed in order to sell it back to the state.

Through the various fisheries programs put into place since 2008, the Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population has increased by 60 percent, a substantial rise for the second straight year. Results of the most recent winter dredge survey place the crab population it at its highest level since 1997. The survey indicates that the O’Malley administration’s management measures, along with an historic collaboration with Virginia and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission, are continuing to pay dividends.

For more information call the DNR Crab Hotline—(800) 893-2722 or visit a DNR Service Center to sell your LCC License back to the State.

source: DNR press release

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has announced the elimination of its 9-day female blue-crab harvest closure period that runs from Sept 26-Oct 4 for the 2010 season. The regulation change comes in response to a 60 percent increase in Chesapeake Bay blue crab population estimates.

This short closure to female harvest was implemented in 2009, along with season-long daily catch limits and other closed periods to ensure appropriate harvest levels of female crabs. The elimination of this short fall closure will provide for increased commercial harvest opportunity in the face of the 60 percent increase in crab abundance.

Daily catch limits and the June closure will remain in place, and the fishery will close to female harvest on November 10, as scheduled. The opening of the fall closure in 2010 will not guarantee that these 9 days will remain open in the future.

According to regulators, the Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population has increased substantially for the second straight year, with the results of the most recent winter dredge survey placing it at its highest level since 1997.

Maryland’s commercial crab harvest is controlled through daily catch limits and closed periods throughout the season. DNR has authority to alter both daily catch limits and closures by public notice, allowing the Department to quickly flex regulations each year to ensure that crab harvest remains proportional to crab abundance.

In Virginia the allowable period for the harvest of female dark sponge crabs is being extended by 14 days.

source: MD DNR press release

The 2010 Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Advisory Report, while noting that blue crabs appear to be making a comeback in the Chesapeake, recommends that the jurisdictions that manage the fishery keep conservation measures in place.

In early 2010, surveys estimate roughly 315 million harvestable (adult crabs 1+ years old) within the Chesapeake, an impressive 41 percent increase from 2009 numbers. The blue crab population rebuilding goal (200 million harvestable crabs) set by the Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee (CBSAC) has been surpassed for two years in a row, but two years is not enough time to know if these numbers can be maintained over the long term.

“The 2010 numbers show continuation of a positive sign that crab populations in the Chesapeake Bay are rebounding,” said Peyton Robertson, director of the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office. “Living resource managers in the bay have made a commitment to working together and to using the best science available to manage blue crab stocks in the bay, and their efforts are paying off.”

Crab populations in the Bay hovered near historic lows for much of the last decade due to over exploitation, pollution, and reduced habitat. But this iconic crustacean is making a comeback—thanks in part to coordinated management efforts across bay jurisdictions in 2008 to reduce female harvest. However, the report notes that conservation measures need to continue to be maintained over time for their full effects to be studied.

The Blue Crab Advisory Report, developed by the Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee and reviewed by the Executive Committee of the Sustainable Fisheries Goal Implementation Team, is based primarily on data collected in the 2009-10 bay-wide winter dredge survey, the most comprehensive and statistically robust annual blue crab survey conducted in the bay. The data shows:

* Harvestable blue crabs, those over the age of one year, increased by 41 percent from the 2009 estimate to 315 million. This was primarily due to an increase in abundance of spawning-age females. Since the winter dredge survey began in 1990, the average blue crab population in the bay has been 192 million.

* Bay-wide, numbers of juvenile crabs entering the population doubled from last year’s estimated 179 million juvenile crabs to 345 million. The long-term average is 260 million.

* An estimated 43 percent of crabs were harvested from the bay by commercial and recreational fishers in 2009. The harvest restrictions put in place in 2008 and 2009 have maintained harvest at sustainable levels that appear to have allowed the population of blue crabs to grow.

* The estimated 2009 harvest of blue crabs from the bay and tributaries was 53.9 million pounds—24 percent higher than the record-low 43.5 million pounds in 2007, but well below the long-term average of 74 million pounds.

“The 2010 advisory report contains good news for Chesapeake Bay blue crabs and the associated fisheries,” noted Lynn Fegley of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, current chair of the Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee. “The 2009 fishery did not exceed the target removal level and there is an increased abundance of adult and juvenile crabs to start the 2010 season. Going forward, it will be critical for the management jurisdictions to continue management strategies that ensure that exploitation on the spawning component of the stock remains within safe limits.”

The recently released “Strategy for Protection and Restoring the Chesapeake Bay Watershed” affirms NOAA’s support for continued regional blue crab management. Using the latest science, NOAA will continue to work through the Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee and coordinate with the states and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission to reevaluate the blue crab interim rebuilding target by 2012. The new abundance target will be based on an updated blue crab stock assessment to be completed in 2011 and will help guide future management actions.

The Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee includes fisheries scientists from the University of Maryland, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, NOAAs Fisheries, and the states of Maryland and Virginia.

The Executive Committee of the Sustainable Fisheries Goal Team is composed of senior fisheries managers from across the Chesapeake Bay and focuses on facilitating fisheries management that encourages sustainable Chesapeake Bay fish populations, supports viable recreational and commercial fisheries, and promotes natural ecosystem function. The Sustainable Fisheries Goal Team provides the forum to discuss fishery management issues that cross state and other jurisdictional boundaries and better connect sound science to management decision making.

The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office focuses NOAA’s capabilities in science, service, and stewardship to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay.

The Blue Crab Advisory Report and supporting figures are available at:

http://chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/fish-facts/blue-crab

source: NOAA press release

On April 14, The governors of Virginia and Maryland announced that the Chesapeake Bay blue crab population has increased for the second year in a row because of a landmark stock rebuilding program.  The latest survey estimates the population has risen to 658 million crabs, a 60 percent increase from last year and the highest seen since 1997.

The population estimate is the result of the 2009-2010 bay-wide winter dredge survey conducted annually by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS).

Speaking about the announcement, Virginia Governor McDonnell remarked, “Protecting and improving the Chesapeake Bay, including the blue crab population, was a priority I outlined during my campaign.  This is shaping up to be a tremendous environmental success story. The crab population is booming. Harvests are up. Our commercial crabbers’ jobs and the waterman’s way of life now appear to be on the path to sustainability.  This is great news for everyone who makes their living by crabbing and for everyone who enjoys genuine Chesapeake Bay crab cakes and she-crab soup.”

Governor McDonnell continued, “While great strides have been made to rebuild our environmentally and economically important crab population, more work remains to be done with our steadfast Maryland partners. Two years does not make a trend.  The scientific evidence shows our management measures are working but we need to continue along this path in order to ensure the Bay’s crab population returns to robustness and remains at that level.  Improving the Bay and the blue crab population will continue to be a priority of mine over the next four years.”

Governor O’Malley also commented, “Today, we can see firsthand what progress looks and feels like on the Chesapeake Bay.  Today, because of the unprecedented partnership between Maryland and Virginia and tough decisions over the past two years, the Chesapeake Bay blue crab population is estimated to be 658 million crabs — a 60 percent increase over last year and the highest total population estimate since 1997.  While we are making progress, our work is not done and we are committed to working with our partners to achieve our ultimate goal of a self-sustaining fishery that will support our industry and recreational fisheries over the long term.”

Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources Doug Domenech noted, “Our watermen are due gratitude for their endurance during this stock rebuilding, and for their conservation efforts.  With more crabs in the water, watermen should see bigger harvests with less effort and fewer costs.  The Virginia Marine Resources Commission deserves credit for its steadfast resolve to enact and maintain the regulations necessary to rebuild the crab fishery with our partners in Maryland.”

Rom Lipcius, who directs the Virginia component of the dredge survey for VIMS, said, “The substantial rise in abundance of mature crabs and juveniles was clearly a response of the crab population to unprecedented management actions, such as the closure of the winter dredge fishery, by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and partner agencies.  The increase was neither a random event nor a reflection of improved environmental conditions. From here on, we have to maintain the population at these levels to ensure the long-term sustainability and resilience of the Chesapeake Bay stock.”

The results of the most recent annual winter crab dredge survey indicate 2008 management measures enacted as part of a historic collaboration with Maryland and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission are succeeding but not completed.  Two years ago, that survey estimated the bay-wide blue crab population to be a mere 298 million crabs, prompting a series of coordinated harvest reduction strategies by Virginia, Maryland, and PRFC fishery managers.  Last year, the survey estimated 403 million crabs overwintered in the Chesapeake Bay.

The new survey also shows a baby boom – an almost doubling of the number of juvenile crabs, making it the largest new generation of crabs since 1997 and an encouraging development that wasn’t seen last year.
In 2008, Maryland, Virginia and the PRFC took strong, coordinated action to reduce harvest pressure on female crabs by 34 percent. At that time, scientists from all three jurisdictions deemed conservation measures necessary as blue crab suffered near historic lows in spawning stock.

The 2008 conservation measures resulted in a large increase in the number of adults in the bay during the 2009 spawning season, and this year’s survey confirms that success has carried over into a healthy spawn. Crab reproduction this year was the sixth highest in the 21-year survey. The abundance of both adult female and male crabs also rose again this year, bringing the estimated number of spawning-age crabs to 315 million, well above the interim target level of 200 million.
In seven of the 10 years between 1998 and 2007, the annual removal of blue crabs bay-wide exceeded the “safe” removal level of 53 percent.

Preliminary numbers indicate the 2009 bay-wide harvest was 53 million pounds, the third largest in the past 10 years. Virginia’s harvest last year appears to have increased by more than 30 percent, from 17.3 million to 22.5 million pounds.

Despite the increased harvest, last year’s bay-wide fishery removal rate was approximately 43 percent, which was lower than the 46 percent target established by scientists, who say this is key to maintaining a healthy population.

The bay-wide blue crab winter dredge survey is the primary survey used to assess the condition of the Chesapeake Bay blue crab population. Since 1990, the survey has employed crab dredges to sample blue crabs at 1,500 sites throughout the Chesapeake Bay from December through March. By sampling during winter when blue crabs are buried in the mud and stationary, scientists can develop, with good precision, estimates of the number of crabs present in the bay.

Estimates of abundance are developed separately for young-of-the-year crabs, mature female crabs, and adult male crabs. Together, these groups of crabs will support the 2010 fishery and produce the next generation of crabs.

In 2008, Virginia and Maryland asked the U.S. Department of Commerce to declare the Chesapeake Bay crab fishery a federal disaster due to the historic low blue crab population. Under that designation, $15 million in crab disaster funds from NOAA‘s National Marine Fisheries Service were appropriated for each state to help rescue the crab population and provide needed economic relief to the commercial fishing industry.

Virginia’s crab disaster funds were used to buy back 359 commercial crab licenses in order to reduce actual or potential crab fishing; to employ out-of-work watermen who pulled up 18,000 derelict crab pots over the past two winters; and to train crabbers in shellfish farming.

source: VMRC press release