2008 Harvest: The 2008 Bay-wide harvest was approximately 48 million pounds. The harvest of male crabs in 2008 increased in all jurisdictions, whereas the female harvest decreased.
2008 Harvest: Estimated 2008 harvest for male, mature female, and peeler crabs for Chesapeake Bay in millions of pounds. The Maryland harvest estimates are still preliminary as final analyses are completed – harvest estimates (especially for male and peeler/soft crabs will change slightly).
Fishing Pressure: The percentage of crabs removed from the population each year by fishing relative to target and threshold levels. Note that fishing pressure consistently exceeds both threshold and target levels.
Spawning-Age Crabs: The number of spawning-age crabs in Chesapeake Bay between 1990-2008. Note how the blue crab stock hovers just above the minimum safe abundance and well below the target abundance.
: The number of age 0 crabs in Chesapeake Bay between 1990-2008. Note the persistent reduction in young-of-the-year crabs since 1998.
Sustainable Harvest: Maintaining a harvest percentage of 46% allows the harvest to grow as abundance increases.
Latest Survey Results
Results of the Winter Blue Crab Dredge Survey are issued each year in the Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee’s Blue Crab Advisory Report.
Results from the most recent Winter Blue Crab Dredge Survey show that the Chesapeake Bay’s adult population of blue crabs has increased substantially compared to the previous year, indicating that management measures put into place in 2008 to address population declines are beginning to work.
Previous Reports
Access the annual Blue Crab Advisory Report for previous years:
Long-Term Trends
Survey findings show that there has been a persistent and substantial decline in the spawning stock, recruitment, larval abundance, and female size of blue crabs in Chesapeake Bay between 1992 and present. Learn more.
