New MDNR report finds crab population is up in Chesapeake Bay

MARYLAND – The population of crabs in the bay is bouncing back according to a new MDNR report released this week.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation tells us after a disastrous figure last year that showed crab levels at their lowest in recorded history, those figures are now trending up.

This year’s survey estimated total crab abundance at 323 million compared to the 227 million estimated in 2022.
The foundation is crediting the restrictions placed on male crabs last year and says those measures must be kept in place moving forward.

“So some of those same types of measures, we believe should be maintained this year, and the second year in a row we have exceeded the conservation benchmark for those male blue crabs, so although they are up from last year, as are the females and the juveniles slightly up, some of those male and juvenile numbers still give us pause because they remain pretty low,” said CBF President Allison Colden.

Colden tells us the foundation wants to see more federal actions taken to boost underwater grasses, increase water quality, and drop the population of the invasive blue catfish.