Governor Martin O’Malley Statement on Federal Blue Crab Disaster Declaration
September 24, 2008
Annapolis, Md. (September 23, 2008) — Governor Martin O’Malley commended the support and leadership of Maryland’s Congressional Delegation today and thanked Department of Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez for the federal fishery disaster declaration for the Chesapeake Bay blue crab.
“We are grateful to Senators Mikulski and Cardin, and our congressional delegation for their leadership in working with the Department of Commerce to secure this critical designation for Maryland’s watermen. Maryland’s blue crab and the traditional fishing industry that it supports face difficult times and the federal funding accompanying the disaster designation will help to preserve the infrastructure of Maryland’s hallmark blue crab fishery, and ensure an active fishery for the future.
This declaration not only helps restore the blue crab population, but it also ensures that the livelihood of our State’s watermen continues to be sustained. While we work with the industry on the State level to rebuild stocks and restructure the fishery, this federal action will help sustain the livelihoods of Maryland’s watermen, whose work is so vital to Maryland’s economy.”
Earlier this year, the O’Malley/Brown Administration coordinated historic action with Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine to rebuild the Chesapeake Bay’s beleaguered blue crab population by reducing the harvest of ecologically valuable female blue crabs by 34 percent in 2008. In May 2008, Governors O’Malley and Kaine requested a disaster assistance evaluation from NOAA‘s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for Chesapeake Bay watermen and women who have suffered economic hardships due to the extremely low and unstable blue crab abundance. Finding that due to adverse environmental conditions including habitat loss, water quality decline, an overabundance of native and non-native predators, and decimation of key blue crab prey, economic losses to the region’s blue crab fishing industry have accumulated over the last decade, the U.S. Department of Commerce today declared a state of disaster for the fishery.
For more information about Maryland’s efforts to rebuild the Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population visit http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/dnrnews/infocus/blue_crab.asp
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Commerce Secretary Determines Blue Crab Disaster in Chesapeake Bay
September 24, 2008
U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez today determined that a decline in the harvest of soft shell and peeler blue crabs in Chesapeake Bay is a commercial fishery failure. The declaration is an important step in making watermen and their communities eligible for economic assistance.
The harvest value of soft shell and peeler blue crabs in Maryland and Virginia – both sold as soft shell crabs – has declined by 41 percent from the late 1990s.
“Watermen and their families in Maryland and Virginia who harvest blue crabs are being hit hard by this significant decline,” Gutierrez said. “This determination recognizes the importance of the blue crab harvest to the Chesapeake Bay community and the impact this decline is having on the regional economy.”
“This is great news for Maryland’s watermen,” said Senator Barbara Mikulski, chairwoman of the Commerce, Justice and Science appropriations subcommittee that funds the Department of Commerce. “The disaster declaration means that Maryland is eligible for federal assistance to help the state as officials, industry and communities work to restore our crab population. I am proud to have worked with Secretary Gutierrez to reach this declaration.”
Blue crabs are harvested at three stages in their life cycle—as hard shell crabs, peeler crabs (just prior to molting), and soft shell crabs (immediately after the molt).
The governors of Maryland and Virginia requested that the Secretary of Commerce determine a disaster in the blue crab fishery. NOAA’s Fisheries Service, which is part of the Department of Commerce, analyzed economic and biological information provided by the two states and by NOAA scientists and economists. The Secretary made this determination for a commercial fishery failure under Section 312(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
“NOAA’s Fisheries Service will continue to work closely with the states of Maryland and Virginia to assess the needs of crab fishermen and their communities,” said Jim Balsiger, NOAA acting assistant administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service. “Our scientists will also continue to cooperate with the states and local universities to provide the scientific information needed to manage the crab resources wisely.”
NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources. Visit http://www.noaa.gov.
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Blue Crab Workshops Scheduled In Florida
August 8, 2008
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has scheduled a series of public workshops to receive comments regarding a possible closed harvest season for blue crabs.
The FWC is looking at ways to create a closed blue crab harvest season so lost and abandoned traps can be collected and removed from Florida’s coastal waters. The primary option under consideration would establish three regional blue crab harvest closures across the state for a period of up to 10 days.
The FWC encourages interested persons to participate in the workshops, which will take place from 6-8 p.m. as follows:
Monday, Aug. 25
Center for Marine Studies
9505 Ocean Shore Blvd.
St. Augustine
Tuesday, Aug. 26
Brevard County Government Complex
The Brevard Room
518 S. Palm Ave.
Titusville
Wednesday, Aug. 27
Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve
261 7th St.
Apalachicola
Wednesday, Aug. 27
Joseph P. D’Alessandro Office Complex
2295 Victoria Ave.
Ft. Myers
Thursday, Aug. 28
City Council Chambers
123 NW Highway 19
Crystal River
Anyone requiring special accommodations to participate in the workshops should advise the FWC at least five days prior to the workshop by calling 850-488-6411. If you are hearing- or speech-impaired, contact the FWC using the Florida Relay Service at 1-800-955-8771 (TDD) or 1-800-955-8770 (voice).
More information is available at MyFWC.com/marine/workgroups/index.html#Blue_Crab.
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Report: Number of Blue Crabs in Bay Remains Below Long-Term Average
July 28, 2008
The Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population remained below the long-term average in 2007, according to a report approved by the NOAA-chaired Fisheries Steering Committee.
The population of spawning-age blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay in 2007-08 was 120 million, down from 143 million in 2006-07. The interim target population for spawning-age crabs is 200 million.
“The science provided by the Blue Crab Advisory Report is critical as state resource managers make decisions regarding the blue crab fishery,” said Peyton Robertson, director of the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office. “This consistent and continued cooperative assessment by the bay jurisdictions, supported by a multiagency team of expert analysts, establishes a sound basis for making decisions that will determine the future of the crab population.”
The 2008 Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Advisory Report, developed by the Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee, is based primarily on data collected by the 2007-08 baywide winter dredge survey, the most comprehensive and statistically robust annual blue crab survey conducted in the bay. The data also show:
• The abundance of crabs over five inches remained lower than historical levels.
• The number of juvenile blue crabs entering the population increased slightly from the previous year, but remained well below the average.
• The abundance of mature females, or spawning potential, was also found to be below average.
The 2007 bay-wide harvest of 43.5 million pounds was the lowest recorded since 1945. Based on the historical relationship between crab population and the following year’s harvest, the 2008 harvest was expected to remove approximately 67 percent of the bay’s adult crab population. These harvest levels are higher than a healthy crab population can sustain. New regulations were implemented by Maryland, Virginia, and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission in 2008 that are primarily designed to reduce fishing pressure on female crabs. These changes are expected to reduce the amount of crabs taken to near the target level.
The Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee includes fisheries scientists from universities, NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service and the states of Maryland and Virginia. The Fisheries Steering Committee works with the various Bay management jurisdictions and is a forum where fisheries management agencies communicate and coordinate decisions across management boundaries.
The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office focuses NOAA’s capabilities in science, service, and stewardship to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay.
NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources. Visit http://www.noaa.gov.
On the Web:
Blue Crab Advisory Report: http://chesapeakebay.noaa.gov
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New FWC Rules Require Tags on Passive Fishing Gear
June 26, 2008
Passive fishing gear – things like trotlines, crab traps, bush hooks and other devices that catch fish in fresh water while the fisherman isn’t present – have to be tagged with the owner’s name and address under a new rule.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) adopted new rules in response to public requests for tighter management of passive gear to reduce the loss of fish and wildlife caught by lost or abandoned gear and to reduce navigation hazards for vessels. It will enable FWC officers to identify and remove lost and abandoned gear and illegally used gear.
The new tagging requirement applies to commercial and recreational trotlines, bush hooks, set lines, wire traps, slat baskets, hoop nets, minnow lift nets, eel traps/pots, blue crab pots, Carolina-pots and shotgun pots. It does not apply to hand-held gear, such as a rod and reel.
Also, the new rule does not include specifications for tagging passive gear, except to say the owner’s name and address must be legible. The new rule applies only in fresh water. Saltwater fishing is subject to other rules.
FWC officials said the new rule is particularly important during current drought conditions that have exposed numerous traps and baskets that have been lost or abandoned but are still catching and wasting fish and are a hazard to boaters.
FWC officers will be working with fishermen to increase awareness of the new rules and enlist help in protecting resources and promoting public safety.
For more information, visit MyFWC.com or call the regional FWC office listed in the telephone directory.
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Statement by DNR Secretary John R. Griffin Regarding Blue Crabs
May 8, 2008
Thanks for taking time to talk with us about our proposal to rebuild the blue crab population and fishery in the Chesapeake Bay. We are here tonight because our blue crab population and fishery have been in decline for almost 20 years. The population of blue crabs has dropped almost 70 percent since 1990, harvests are at historic lows and we have been harvesting too high of a percentage of this dwindling population.
We are here tonight because we care deeply about those that work on the bay. It is important to note that at the same time that the population of blue crabs has been declining so has the number of crabbers and processors. We understand that these regulatory proposals have significant economic impact for many here – but not acting also has significant, and likely more lasting and profound impacts on your ways of life.
We are here tonight because Governor Kaine and Governor O’Malley agreed to a science-based, conservation goal to reducing the harvest of female blue crabs by 34 percent in 2008 based on the best scientific information. The historic ongoing historic discussion with Virginia over the last several months resulted in Virginia closing their winter dredge fishery and closing their fishery for female blue crabs on October 27. These steps and the opportunities they present to quickly rebuild this fishery in concert with our neighbor are unprecedented.
The time to act is now. We must act to make both the population and the industry that relies on blue crabs sustainable far into the future.
We are here tonight to discuss our proposed emergency regulations package that will have Maryland fulfill its commitment to reduce the harvest of female crabs by 34 percent.
We understand that this will cause economic hardship for the lower Eastern Shore, particularly Dorchester County. With that understanding Governor O’Malley has secured $3 million in state capital funds to provide money to employ watermen in restoring key Chesapeake Bay habitat including rehabilitating oyster reefs, grants to assist in the start up of aquaculture businesses, and grants to assist crab processing companies.
In addition, Senators Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin joined with Governor O’Malley last Friday to announce that the state is seeking a disaster declaration from the United States Department of Commerce for the Chesapeake Bay blue crab. We are seeking $15 million over the next three years to provide alternative economic opportunities for watermen and the processing industry.
We will be monitoring the 2008 fishery and the effects of these regulations through next year’s dredge survey results. It is our intention to be adaptive and flexible in our management of this fishery. The regulations proposed here will not be static. Our commitment is to ensure that each year no more than 46 percent of the crab population is removed by fishing pressure.
We are committed to working with the industry and with Virginia to explore effective alternatives for maintaining this target level of harvest. Once we rebuild this population, removing 46 percent of a larger blue crab stock will yield significantly better – and more sustainable – future harvests than removing 55-60 percent of a diminished population.
We are at a cross roads in the management of the symbol of our bay’s bounty. Change is never easy but it is our hope that we can continue to work together towards a more sustainable blue crab population and fishery in the near future.
We are committed to working with you and your local leaders to help get through this short term impact so that together we can emerge with stronger, more predictable and more diverse seafood harvest and processing opportunities that sustain you and the communities that depend upon you.
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Statement By Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley On Blue Crab Management Decisions By Virginia
April 25, 2008
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Martin O’Malley released the following statement today regarding Virginia’s efforts to assist in the rebuilding of the Blue Crab population in the Chesapeake Bay:
“I want to thank Governor Kaine and his staff for their leadership and partnership with Maryland on their historic efforts to rebuild the Chesapeake Bay blue crab fishery.”
“When Governor Kaine and I met in Colonial Beach on April 15, we made a commitment to work together to reduce the harvest of female crabs by 34 percent this year. By closing the winter dredge fishery and agreeing to close the fall crab fishery early, Virginia’s actions confirm that we are on the right course, and strengthens our resolve to ensure that our own regulatory measures, proposed earlier this week, are put in place according to plan.”
“These are not easy decisions to make. We are greatly concerned about the impact of these actions on our watermen and our processing industry, and we remain committed to identifying opportunities to mitigate this economic impact. However, these actions are necessary if we are to ensure a sustainable blue crab fishery for future generations.”
“I am very proud of the partnership that we have developed with Virginia on this issue, and look forward to collaborating on other issues critical to health of the treasured resource we share, the Chesapeake Bay.”
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Maryland Proposes Regulations to Rebuild Blue Crab Population
April 25, 2008
ANNAPOLIS, MD– Today, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) proposed new recreational and commercial harvest regulations to help rebuild the Chesapeake Bay blue crab population and fishery. The proposed regulations are designed to reduce female blue crab harvest by 34 percent in 2008.
“We must take action today to ensure that Maryland’s iconic blue crab and the economy it supports continue to be important parts of our culture for generations to come,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “The historic cooperation and coordination between Maryland, Virginia and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission has created an unparalleled opportunity to protect and restore our shared blue crab resource. By working together, we will protect the most biologically important blue crabs from the beginning of their migration until they spawn in late spring and summer.”
The proposed emergency regulations for the 2008 Chesapeake Bay commercial blue crab fishery include an early closure to the season for harvesting female crabs and catch limits on female crabs earlier in the fall. DNR’s preferred regulatory option being introduced as an emergency regulatory package today, would close commercial harvest of female crabs on October 23 and impose individualized catch limits effective September 1 based on a waterman’s recent annual average reported female blue crab harvest. The proposed emergency regulations for the 2008 Chesapeake Bay recreational fishery prohibit any female blue crab harvest.
“Protecting female blue crabs by reducing recreational and commercial harvests represents the best opportunity for the quickest rebound,” said DNR Secretary John R. Griffin. “We will continue to work with scientists, recreational crabbers, the commercial crab industry, conservationists, and local businesses to ensure a sustainable future for our blue crabs so that the species can continue to fulfill its ecological role within the Bay while also supporting the local economies that rely upon it.”
The current abundance of adult or reproductive-age blue crabs is 120 million crabs, only slightly above the established minimum safe threshold of 86 million reproductive-age crabs, is 70 percent lower than 1990 levels and well below the conservation target of 200 million crabs. Since 2001, Maryland and Virginia have shared a conservation goal of limiting annual blue crab harvest to no more than 46 percent of the species population. Scientists estimate that more than 60 percent of the Bay’s adult crab population was harvested last year. In Maryland, the 2007 commercial blue crab harvest of approximately 21.8 million pounds was one of the lowest recorded since 1945.
Governor O’Malley has committed to working closely with Maryland’s blue crab industry to develop mitigation options for the potential short term economic impacts resulting from the proposed regulations. The fiscal year 2009 capital budget for DNR included $3 million for habitat restoration projects, seafood processing industry grants and aquaculture development.
More than 500 individual comments have been submitted on blue crab management to the DNR since it initiated a public comment process in February. DNR’s public comment process thus far has included nine public and Sport and Tidal Fish Advisory Commissions meetings and an on-going online comment process. The proposed draft regulations will be reviewed by the Maryland General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive & Legislative Review. The proposed regulations will be published in the Maryland Register on May 23, 2008.
DNR will hold two public hearings on the regulatory proposal – one on May 7 at 6:30 p.m. at Governor’s Hall at Sailwinds Park in Cambridge, and one on June 4 at 7 p.m. at Calvary United Methodist Church in Annapolis. Sign language interpreters and other appropriate accommodations for individuals will be provided upon request. Public comments may also be submitted via mail to Sarah Widman, Fisheries Service, B-2, Tawes State Office Building, 580 Taylor Avenue, Annapolis, Maryland 21401, by calling 410-260-8260, by faxing to 410-260-8278 or emailing to fisheriespubliccomment [at] dnr [dot] state [dot] md [dot] us.
A variety of factors including over-fishing, poor water quality, loss of habitat such as submerged aquatic vegetation and oyster reefs, and changing climatic conditions have contributed to the decline of the Bay’s blue crab population. Reducing female blue crab harvest is one of many actions taken by the O’Malley Administration to help restore the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. Recent successes include strengthening the Critical Area Law to protect the most sensitive and significant shoreline habitats; securing an additional $25 million annually for Bay restoration efforts through the Chesapeake Bay 2010 Trust Fund; and implementing the BayStat Initiative to track progress and more effectively target our efforts.
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