October 23, 2013 — The Chesapeake Bay winter crab dredge fishery will be closed for yet another year after Virginia Marine Resources Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to give the bay's depleted stock of iconic blue crabs time to rebuild.
The 7-0 vote in Newport News rejected a proposal that would have reopened the dredge fishery as a pilot program with tight limits and restrictions, and closed it outright for another winter.
The latest stock survey showed the blue crab population has plummeted to less than half what it was the previous year.
"I can see us in the future having a crab dredge fishery," said associate commissioner Ed Tankard. "But abundance is too low now."
"The timing is wrong," said associate commissioner Ken Neill. "I just don't think this is a good year for this."
The move was praised by a senior scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, who called it a tough decision by commissioners.
"CBF remains hopeful that with conservation-minded management in place, the blue crab population will rise to consistent and sustainable levels where Virginia can consider options for increasing harvest and maximizing the economics of the fishery," said Chris Moore of the CBF's Norfolk office.
Read the full story at the Daily Press