MARYLAND — There was a glimmer of hope in the Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey released Thursday, officials said. The survey estimates 323 million blue crabs are in the Chesapeake Bay in 2023, an increase from last year’s record low count of 227 million crabs.
The number of spawning age female crabs increased from 97 million crabs in 2022 to 152 million crabs in 2023, a substantial increase and well above the management threshold of 72.5 million crabs, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources said. Also, adult male crabs increased from 28 million crabs in 2022 to 55 million crabs in 2023.
“We are encouraged by the increases in adult crab abundance, but we need to be vigilant given the ongoing low recruitment numbers,” said DNR Fishing and Boating Services Acting Director Lynn Fegley. “We haven’t seen a strong year class since 2019 despite maintaining the spawning stock at a level capable of producing one.”
The survey is a joint project of the Maryland DNR and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Maryland has tracked the crab count since 1990. The all-time high of 852 million crabs came in 1993.
Estimating the total number of crabs living in the bay allows state officials to calculate the percentage of the crab population that can be harvested each year.
Blue crab reproduction varies and is influenced by factors such as oceanic conditions, available nursery habitat, predation, and other environmental impacts, the DNR said. The number of juvenile crabs in the Chesapeake Bay has been below average for the past four years with the 2023 estimate at 116 million crabs, just a slight increase from 101 million juvenile crabs in 2022.
The consecutive years of low juvenile abundance prompted the Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee to hold a workshop last fall to explore recruitment drivers and begin planning for a new stock assessment.
The new assessment will allow fishery managers to take an in-depth look at their understanding of the ecology of this species, how it is modeled, and whether the reference points used for management should be revised.
The DNR will begin discussions with the Blue Crab Industry Advisory Committee on the course of action for 2023 that promotes the health and sustainability of the Chesapeake Bay blue crab population and its fisheries.
To compile the survey, biologists use dredge equipment to capture, measure, record and release blue crabs at 1,500 sites throughout the Chesapeake Bay from December through March. Detailed results are on the DNR website.
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