Blue crabs in Chesapeake Bay at "record low"

Courtesy of bigbirdz (CC 2.0)

Every winter, a dredge survey is conducted at 1,500 sampling sites throughout the Chesapeake Bay to assess the blue crab population. The results for 2022 are in and suggest Virginia’s crabbers may experience a low harvest this year, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) warned.

2022 is a “record low year of total blue crab abundance,” VMRC noted in a document titled “A Lean Year for Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs.” The survey revealed that the population dropped to 227 million crabs, which is the lowest abundance estimate in the 33-year history of the winter dredge survey.

The decline in population is driven primarily by a decrease in juvenile crabs. According to VMRC, this marks the third straight year that there has been below-average recruitment for juveniles. And the number of juveniles “contributes heavily” to the outcome of the harvest.

But that’s not the only population to see declines. The number of adult females also dropped. With a population of 97 million, this group is significantly below the target of 196 million, said VMRC.

Each female crab can spawn an average of 3 million eggs per brood and can average up to three broods per year. Therefore, fishing levels of the spawning stock are “still at acceptable levels,” said VMRC.

VRMC put to rest any concerns that the population declines are due to over-crabbing. “The removal rate in 2021 of 26% by commercial and recreational fisheries indicates overfishing is not occurring,” the commission said.

However, blue crabs are facing numerous other challenges in the bay, VRMC said, including vulnerability to low oxygen levels from nutrient runoff, a lack of sea grasses to provide refuge for juveniles and soft crabs as well as storms and currents that wash away larvae. There is also a growing abundance of predators, including red drum and blue catfish, the commission said.

The outcome of the dredge survey could have notable implications for those in the industry. “The low numbers of juveniles and adult females will factor into decisions VMRC, DNR and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission make in regard to the measure for the 2022 blue crab season,” VRMC said in its statement.

A low harvest year could have implications for blue crab consumers at a time when they’re already getting hit at multiple angles by inflation. The 2021 harvest fell 15% last year, but the dockside value for the industry increased 14% to $35 million, and that was because of high prices, VRMC stated.

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