Volume 12, Numbers 1 • February-March 1994

Changes in Regulations: Recent and Proposed

Worried about increasing fishing pressure on blue crab stocks, fishery managers in Maryland and Virginia are in the process of implementing or proposing a number of new changes designed to slow down or cap fishing effort.

CHANGES IN MARYLAND

In Place

A two-year waiting period for new commercial licenses is already in place

Proposed

Limited entry into the commercial fishery. DNR would stop selling commercial licenses until the number of licensed crabbers declined through attrition. Over 6,000 now hold crabbing licenses.
A limit of 300 crab pots per license and 900 pots per boat.
Abolition of the non-commercial "limited crab catcher" license now held by about 10,000 people.
A new sport crabbers license allowing crabbers to use 10 traps and 1,000 feet of trotline with minimum gear separation of 100 feet.
A sport crabber catch limit of one bushel per day per person, not to exceed two bushels per boat.

CHANGES IN VIRGINIA

In Place

A new sport crabbing license allowing the use of 5 crab pots. No license required for fishing two pots and taking one bushel a day.
Limited entry into the commercial winter dredge fishery after December 1. No new licenses could be sold until the number drops below 225 licenses.
The daily catch limit cut from 25 barrels a day to 20 barrels in the dredge fishery.

Proposed

One gear change requiring one 2 & 5/1 6-inch ring in upper portion of each crab pot to allow small crabs to escape.

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