Crabs

Federal funds are major infusion for Commonwealth's program to boost Chesapeake Bay crab population, aid commercial fishermen

May 19, 2009 -- RICHMOND – Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine announced today the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has approved $7.5 million of federal funds for the state's ongoing program to boost the Chesapeake Bay's blue crab population and aid struggling commercial fishermen.

With the first part of Virginia's multi-faceted, three-year blue crab disaster relief plan already underway, the new infusion of federal fishery disaster funds will help ensure the continued success of the statewide effort to reduce harvest pressure on the blue crab, and to continue an innovative marine debris clean-up program using out-of-work crab dredgers.    » read more »

Winter Dredge Survey Indicates Bi-State Management Actions are Having Desired Effect

April 17, 2009 --
ANNAPOLIS, MD and RICHMOND, VA — Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine and Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley today announced the Chesapeake Bay's adult population of blue crabs has increased substantially over last year, indicating management measures put into place in 2008 to address population declines are working.

The results of the most recent Bay-wide winter dredge survey, which is conducted annually by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), estimate the total number of crabs overwintering in the Chesapeake Bay during 2008-2009 has increased from 280 million in 2007-2008 to just over 400 million.    » read more »

ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 23, 2008) – Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley released the following statement today regarding Virginia’s efforts to assist in the rebuilding of the Blue Crab population in the Chesapeake Bay:

“I want to thank Governor Kaine and his staff for their leadership and partnership with Maryland on their historic efforts to rebuild the Chesapeake Bay blue crab fishery.”

Maryland Blue Crabs: Photo by Robert Fornal (CC)    » read more »

Direct state regulators, scientists to implement management strategies to revive imperiled fishery

COLONIAL BEACH, Va. (April 15, 2008) – Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine today announced their commitment to work together to rebuild the Chesapeake Bay’s beleaguered blue crab population by directing state regulators and scientists to implement management strategies to revive the imperiled fishery.

Maryland Blue Crab: Photo by fishfoot (CC)    » read more »

Invasive species?

4-Sep-2007 -- A dime-sized tropical crab that has invaded coastal waters in the Southeast United States is having both positive and negative effects on oyster reefs, leaving researchers unable to predict what the creature’s long-term impact will be.

Unlike native crabs that eat baby oysters, mussels and fish, the green porcelain crab Petrolisthes armatus is a filter feeder, extracting its food from the water much as oysters do.    » read more »