Blue Crab Boom: 553M Crabs Estimated In Annual Winter Dredge

BALTIMORE (WJZ)—Dust off your crab mallets because it's shaping up to be a great crab season in Maryland.

Alex DeMetrick reports on what's behind the rise in crab numbers in the bay.

Like a lot of watermen, Blair Baltus is rushing to get his crab pots ready, for a season that's starting earlier than usual.

"We had a warm March and the water temperature's come up.  It's all dictated by water temperature," he says.

But an early catch is only part of the good news. The annual crab survey conducted over the winter found a surge in the bay's blue crab population, estimated at 550 million crabs.

The survey is an increase from the 410 million surveyed last year, making this the 4th highest crab population in 20 years.

"And this is the second year in a row that we have an increase in abundance of our female spawning stock," said Brenda Davis, DNR blue crab project manager.

The result of restrictions placed on the number of female crabs that can be harvested, after the population plunged.

And crabs caught another break: a big factor in the increase of crabs is weather.

This year the bay didn't freeze over.

"If we had similar temperatures this winter that we had last year, the increase would have been down by about half of what it was," said Davis.

If it all adds up to watermen catching more crabs this season.

"If it is a good year and if it starts off good the price will come down," said Baltus.

The state will now evaluate whether some harvest restrictions can be eased, or if the crabbing season can be lengthened.