WASHINGTON — September 20, 2012 — Maryland's crab harvest last year led the nation, according to figures released Wednesday by the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Nearly 200 million pounds of blue crabs were landed nationwide last year, with Maryland accounting for more than 25 percent of the harvest. Louisiana was second with 22 percent and Virginia third at 19 percent.
However, Maryland’s overall commercial seafood harvest declined in 2011 compared to 2010.
Commercial watermen harvested 78.2 million pounds of fish, crabs and oysters in 2011. That’s down from 97.7 million pounds the year before.
Virginia’s commercial harvest was 493.4 million pounds in 2011, compared to 495 million pounds in 2010.
Combined, Maryland and Virginia’s harvests put the Chesapeake region fishery third in the country, far behind the Pacific Coast and the Gulf Coast, and slightly ahead of New England, according to the "Fisheries of the United States 2011" report.
Read the full story at the Capital Gazette