Maryland Fishing Report Finds Less Blue Crabs In Chesapeake Bay

SALISBURY, MD-  A Fishing Report released by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources found that fewer crabs are spawning into full-grown crabs in the Chesapeake bay this year.

The report points to a lack of large offshore storms, that normally drive infant crabs up from spawning grounds off the coast of southern Virginia up into the bay has resulted in a decrease in the population of crabs.

The report points to expected storms on the way this fall that will help to replenish those numbers in the next two years.

The author of the report, Keith Keithlockwood told 47ABC, that while there are fewer crabs in the bay, watermen have reported the crabs that they are able to catch as being substantially larger in size.

“It’s quality over quantity the crabs that everyone is catching right now are what in market places would be called jumbos their very large we are talking about 7 to 8-inch crabs,” he said.