![]() Major blue crab fisheries have existed on the Atlantic coast of the United States for at least 100 years, and on the Gulf of Mexico coast for more than 50 years. The history of Chesapeake Bay's blue crab (Callinectes sapidus): fisheries and management. It will be reviewed and discussed by the Management Board again in November 2023.STAGG, Cluney y WHILDEN, Marguerite. The continuation of the annual Bay-wide Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey will be essential in estimating the blue crab population and monitoring the stock.Īs part of the Chesapeake Bay Program's partnership-wide implementation of adaptive management, progress toward this outcome was reviewed and discussed by the Management Board in November of 2021. Monitoring and assessing progress toward the outcome will occur through the Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee’s (CBSAC) annual review of blue crab survey data and determination of population status relative to biological reference points. Identifying and addressing priority blue crab science needs.Evaluating and improving the effectiveness of the blue crab stock assessment model.Assessing blue crab stock status and communicating the results to managers and the public.To achieve this outcome, Chesapeake Bay Program partners have committed to: Water quality improvements, underwater grass restoration and proper harvest management will be critical to maintaining this valuable resource. Environmental factors-including water temperatures, coastal currents, weather patterns and natural predation-can also affect blue crab abundance. Where annual adult female blue crab abundance falls in relation to these numbers informs management decisionsĪnthropogenic activity-including harvest pressure and development that leads to the loss of fish and shellfish habitat-can affect blue crab populations. The female-specific reference points associated with this outcome were recommended in the 2011 blue crab benchmark stock assessment and adopted by Maryland, Virginia and PRFC in 2012 and were updated at the 2017 blue crab stock assessment update. The threshold abundance of 70 million mature adult female crabs (age 1+) increased to 72.5 million, and the target abundance of 215 million adult females decreased to 196 million, based on the best available science.īlue crabs support commercial and recreational fisheries across the region. In November 2020, the three jurisdictions (Maryland, Virginia, and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission ) formally adopted new female-specific reference points generated by the 2017 blue crab stock assessment update, which included more recent survey and harvest data. The 2022 estimate is the lowest since 2014, when female abundance fell below the management threshold (then 70 million adult females). In the last few years, however, the abundance of mature females has declined. Since female-specific regulations were implemented in 2008, the average adult female blue crab abundance has doubled from the previous decade. Since data collection began in 1990, the abundance of adult female blue crabs has peaked three times: first in 1991 when abundance reached 227 million, second in 2010 when abundance reached 246 million and third in 2017 when abundance reached a record-high 254 million. The Blue Crab Abundance Outcome is on course and is expected to be met by 2025.Īdult Female Blue Crab Abundance (1990-2022) In addition, the female exploitation rate has not fallen below the threshold since 2008, which suggests that management The adult female blue crab abundance has not fallen below the threshold since 2014, indicating that the population is sustainable. CBSAC is in the process of identifying the key drivers to be addressed and will discuss how these factors might be incorporated into future stock assessments at a workshop in September 2022. Although it is well known that blue crab populations exhibit natural annual variability due to their biology and other environmental factors such as temperature, coastal currents, weather patterns, and predation, the Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee (CBSAC) is interested in better understanding how these factors drive blue crab population dynamics. This number is lower than the target of 196 million, but above the 72.5 million threshold that is considered to be the minimum sustainable level for female blue crabs in the Bay. Climate Monitoring and Assessment Outcomeīetween 20, the abundance of adult (age 1+) female blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay decreased 39% from 158 million to 97 million.Environmental Literacy Planning Outcome.Land Use Methods and Metrics Development Outcome.Toxic Contaminants Policy and Prevention Outcome.Water Quality Standards Attainment and Monitoring Outcome.2025 Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPs) Outcome.2017 Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPs) Outcome.Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) Outcome.
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