Maryland sets commercial mature female hard crab catch limits starting April 1

ANNAPOLIS — Secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Josh Kurtz, in consultation with blue crab advisory groups, announces the commercial mature female hard crab catch limits for the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries for April through June 2024.

This applies to commercial crabbers who harvest female blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries.

Refer to the chart above for limits that are effective 12:01 a.m. April 1, 2024. The acronyms in the chart stand for: LCC – Limited Crab Harvester License 50 pots; CB3 – Crab Harvester License 300 pots; CB6 – 600 pot authorization; CB9 – 900 pot authorization; and TFL – Unlimited Tidal Fish License.

A lug is defined as a rectangular container that does not exceed the following inside dimensions: 22-⅞ inches length across the top; 14-⅞ inches width across the top; 21 inches length across the bottom; 13 inches width across the bottom; and 12-⅜ inches height.

A barrel is defined as a circular container that does not exceed the following inside dimensions: 20.5 inches diameter across the top; 18 inches diameter across the bottom; and 27.5 inches height. The 2-bushel limit for LCC license holders invalidates a barrel for use because a barrel holds a minimum of 2.5 bushels of crabs.

Catch must be kept either entirely in bushels, entirely in lugs, or entirely in barrels. Containers may not be mixed on a vessel.

Commercial crabbers utilizing lugs or barrels should report harvest in pounds when completing Commercial Harvest Reports.

Mature female hard crab catch limits are based on results of the Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey, conducted by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and in consultation with advisory groups and stakeholders.

Crew limits as described in Annotated Code of Maryland, Natural Resources Article, §4-814, are in effect. If crew members are not on board, then the licensee is restricted to the TFL or CB3 catch limits.

This notice applies to the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries, including the Maryland tributaries of the Potomac River. This action is necessary to ensure female blue crab harvest does not exceed the Chesapeake Bay exploitation fraction threshold established in Amendment 2 to the Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Fishery Management Plan.