Maryland Announces Mature Female Hard Crab Catch Limits For Commercial Crabbers
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced the mature female hard crab catch limits for commercial crabbers. The rules will apply in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries.
The bushel limits are:
The limits will go into effect from July 1 until December 2021, and the department said the limits were made in consultation with blue crab advisory groups. From December 1 to December 15, no harvesting is allowed.
The bushel limits are also based on the results of the winter crab dredge survey conducted by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Virginia Institute of Marine Science. The survey reported that there are more adult female crabs this year than in 2020.
