Maryland DNR Releases 2013 Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Numbers
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources today released the 2013 Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey numbers, showing mixed results. The number of spawning-age females increased substantially this year – by 52 percent − indicating that the current management framework to protect adult female crabs is working. However, poor reproduction in 2013 and what appears to be high mortality within the record 2012 year-class resulted in an overall decline in the Bay-wide population. …