![]() Water quality improvements, underwater grass restoration and proper harvest management will be critical to maintaining this valuable resource. Poor water quality, habitat loss, harvest pressure and predation affect their continued health. Maryland, Virginia and the PRFC have regulations in place that can be used to respond to changes in blue crab numbers such as altering bushel limits and/or changing the crabbing season.īlue crabs are vital to our region's economy and are an important part of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. Female blue crab harvest levels are one factor that influences adult female blue crab abundance and recent data showing harvest levels in relation to these reference points can now be found via the Blue Crab Abundance Outcome page. While Florida’s beloved stone crab is weeks away from making its annual debut, the season for Florida’s other crab blue crab lasts all year. Maryland, Virginia and the PRFC will continue to operate under a management framework that uses female-specific reference points to indicate the sustainability of the blue crab stock and inform blue crab management decisions. This decision was based on constituent feedback and management agency perspectives, and marks the completion of this outcome. In November 2017, Maryland, Virginia and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission (PRFC) informed the Chesapeake Bay Program of their decision to maintain the existing blue crab management framework rather than establish a new, allocation-based framework for the Chesapeake Bay’s commercial and recreational blue crab fisheries. Climate Monitoring and Assessment Outcome.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.For many crabs, a mixed diet of plant and animal matter results in the fastest growth and greatest fitness. Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) Outcome Crabs are omnivores, feeding primarily on algae, 25 and taking any other food, including molluscs, worms, other crustaceans, fungi, bacteria, and detritus, depending on their availability and the crab species.For additional information, contact the FWC’s trap-retrieval coordinator, Pamela Gruver, at 85. There are six regional closures total: three in even-numbered years on the east coast and three in odd-numbered years on the west coast.įor more information regarding the FWC’s trap-retrieval program, blue crab trap closure dates, regulations and cleanup events, go to /Fishing (click on “Saltwater Fishing,” then “Trap Retrieval/Debris Removal”). Coastal waters from Broward through Pasco counties will close to traps July 10-19, and waters from Hernando through Wakulla counties, including all waters of the Ochlockonee River and Ochlockonee Bay, will close to traps July 20-29. ![]() The closure is one of three regional, 10-day blue crab trap closures that will occur in 2017 (see map). They can also be unsightly in the marine environment, damage sensitive habitats and pose navigational hazards to boaters on the water. Lost and abandoned blue crab traps are a problem in the blue crab fishery because they can continue to trap crabs and fish when left in the water. Blue crab harvesters may also use standard blue crab traps during the closure if the traps are attached to a dock or other private property. Until trap season reopens, blue crabs may be harvested with other gear, such as dip nets and fold-up traps. ![]() These closures will give groups authorized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) the opportunity to identify and retrieve lost and abandoned blue crab traps from the water.Ĭlosures may be reduced in duration if it is determined that the number of lost and abandoned traps in the region will take less time to remove. Waters of the Ochlockonee River and Ochlockonee Bay are not included in this closure. 5, the first day of a 10-day trap closure.īlue crab traps may not be in state waters (shore to 9 nautical miles, including intracoastal waterways) from the Florida/Alabama state line through the Franklin/Wakulla county line from Jan. Mature females are typically near the ocean, but large males are most. Recreational and commercial blue crab traps must be removed from some northwest Florida waters before Jan. The best time of year to harvest large, heavy crabs is usually from October to December.
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