Cup o' Joe

Food, travel, and news on the Chesapeake Bay

So the Chesapeake Bay blue crab population has reached its highest level since 1997—658 million crabs. That’s a 60 percent increase over last year, which also saw a spike from the previous year.

This is good news for everyone—especially the crabs. (I’m still wondering how they were able to convince so many crustaceans to fill out their Census forms. Sorry, couldn’t resist.)

The Powers That Be say this is a direct result of the 2008 law enacted in Maryland and Virginia that shortened the crabbing season and reduced the number of females watermen could catch. That law, understandably, pissed off a lot of people who make their living from the water.

I remember reading a quote when the 2008 limitations were enacted: David Colman, of Cambridge seafood wholesaler Colman and Sons Seafood Inc., called the concern about low blue crab numbers “overblown” and said the species population would eventually climb on its own. “It’s like flies—some years there’s a lot of flies, some years there isn’t,” Colman said. “It’s overblown. It’s ridiculous.”

Maybe. But such a huge increase does make the scientists and lawmakers look good. You have to agree that there’s some logic to the argument that catching fewer crabs translates into more crabs remaining in the Bay. (See: rockfish, Canada geese, for other examples of similar policies and successes.)

So now we’ll just have to wait until next year’s survey to see if this really is a trend. In the meantime, I plan to eat 60 percent more crabs this summer and hope that next year brings more crabs—but fewer flies—too.

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Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 04/14/10 at 02:37 PM

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