Business & Tech
Watermen 'Cautiously Optimistic' for Positive Crab Season
Crab population is at its second-highest level in the Chesapeake Bay since 1997, according to the 2011 Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey.
Blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay are at their second-highest levels in 14 years, but some of the more seasoned professionals are still being cautiously optimistic about this year’s crabbing season.
Al Strzegowski, owner of the venerable, has heard positive reports, but he is still waiting to see the actual results before he comes to his own conclusion. Al’s Seafood has been around for close to 60 years, and Strzegowski has seen his share of the market's ebbs and flows.
“They’re predicting a good year for Maryland crabs,” Strzegowski said. “There are a lot of small crabs out in the Bay according to whatever surveys they do. They are expecting a nice crop of crabs, but there are so many variables and they’ve been wrong numerous times. Sometimes, they do hit it on the nail.
“But until they’re here, you can’t predict it. Mother Nature basically determines what kind of year we’re going to have. We could have hurricanes; it could be too cold or hot. I personally feel they are just too many variables to predict.”
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According to the 2011 Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey, which was released on Tuesday, the Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population is at its second-highest level since 1997 and well above the target for the third year in a row, setting the stage for a Bay-wide recovery.
The report also found that 254 million adult crabs survived an unusually cold winter in the Chesapeake, above the current population target for the third year in a row. This marks the first time since the early 1990s that the Chesapeake Bay has experienced three consecutive years in which the adult population was above the target (200 million crabs) and the combined commercial and recreational harvest was below the target of 46 percent.
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“This annual survey not only gives us the best accounting of our populations, it is also an excellent predictor of the upcoming harvest,” said Secretary John Griffin in a statement. “While we are heartened by these results, we remain committed to working with our partners and stakeholders to keep the harvest in balance with the population over the long term.”
Blue crabs remain the most valuable commercial species in the Chesapeake Bay with a “dockside value of $54.2 million,” according to a state report.
During the winter months, most crabs come from Texas, Louisiana and sometimes the Carolinas, depending on the weather. Strzegowski said there is not much difference in taste among crabs from the various geographic regions.
The prices for the crabs will likely depend on the traditional concept of supply and demand, according to several restaurant owners.
For example, offers a dozen male crabs ranging from $26 to $76, with females ranging from $19 to $45. A bushel ranges from $175-$224 and females for $150, but the prices will vary.
Jesse Lowers, who owns Lowers Crab Shack and Fish Market, did not hear the news of the report because he was on the Bay crabbing. However, a plentiful crab season is not always good for individual businesses.
“When the market is flooded, people have a lot of choices where to get them," Lowers said. "Last year was an excellent year, too, as far as catching crabs.”
The state took aggressive steps dating back to 2008 to preserve the state’s crab population. In March, the state launched a program to buy and permanently retire some commercial crabbing licenses.
Tom O'Connell, fisheries director for DNR, said there are currently about 650 inactive watermen with such licenses.
“It becomes very difficult to manage the crab fishery to our annual target harvest level if even a fraction of these unused licenses chooses to re-enter the fishery," said O'Connell.
Two years ago, the state also developed new rules to protect the female crab population, which include daily bushel limits and seasonal closures.
In September 2008, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service responded to Gov. Martin O’Malley’s request for disaster assistance funding for watermen impacted by the declining blue crab population.
With support from Sen. Barbara Mikulski and Maryland’s Congressional Delegation, the state received $15 million in federal funds that extends into 2012 to assist management efforts and mitigate the impacts from the blue crab fishery disaster.
On the state level, O’Malley and the Maryland General Assembly also directed $6 million in capital funding toward these efforts over the previous two fiscal years.
Officials with the Maryland Watermen's Association are concerned about how tighter restrictions will affect their livelihood. They fear tighter restrictions will decrease revenues, which are already suffering.
A new group, called the "blue crab industry design team" is expected to help develop new management programs for the crab population that strikes a balance between conservation and business.
Nonetheless, eating crabs has become a rite of summer in Maryland. Its popularity is likely to continue, regardless of price.
“Times have changed,” Strzegowski said. “I can remember a time when I couldn’t get them off the truck fast enough there was such a demand. It was a cheap commodity. Now, it’s become almost a delicacy.”
Competition remains fierce among local crab houses, and it’s about to become even more intense with the prime season almost in full swing. Strzegowski remembers when there were just two or three crab houses around the Essex area. Now, the market has blossomed into several dozen.
“Every upper Bay crabber has their own crab house,” Strzegowski said. “There are about five different crab houses just around me.”