See the "flip" for a joint statement by the governors of Virginia and Maryland "announcing their commitment to work together to rebuild the Chesapeake Bay's blue crab population." I strongly agree with Governors Kaine and O'Malley that "Maryland and Virginia must act now, and we must act together, to reduce harvest pressure on blue crabs immediately, and in so doing, protect both the biological and the economic sustainability of our shared resource."
But, having said all that, I also agree with this:
...crabs have suffered because of the generally murky, algae-clouded, and oxygen-deprived state of the Chesapeake.In some places, excess pollution has left the crabs with nothing to breathe. They also include warmer water temperatures, potentially tied to climate change. Bathtub-hot summer water has killed off vast fields of underwater grass, which provides crucial shelter for baby crabs.
That's right, climate change is warming up the Chesapeake Bay and killing off the crabs. So why are we even talking about building more greenhouse gas emitting, coal-fired power plants? Uhhhh....
Also, I largely agree with this:
...watermen have replied that they are being scapegoated. They say a larger responsibility lies with the Environmental Protection Agency, for overseeing a cleanup effort that has consistently failed to meet its goals. And with every resident of the watershed, for flushing toilets and fertilizing lawns and doing countless other things that send algae-feeding pollution downstream."They try to make you think that it's over-fishing. But it's not over-fishing," said Ken Smith, who crabs on the Rappahannock River and is vice president of the Virginia Watermen's Association. "The problem is the Chesapeake."
Actually, I'd say the problem is both: 1) overfishing; and 2) what sprawl, runoff, global warming, and certain types of agricultural practices are doing to the Chesapeake. To save the crabs, and more broadly to save the Chesapeake Bay, we're going to have to address all of the above -- and fast!
JOINT STATEMENT BY GOVERNORS KAINE AND O'MALLEY ON THE STATE OF THE BLUE CRAB~ Governors Urge a Collaborative Solution to Revive Crab Fishery ~
COLONIAL BEACH, VA- Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine and Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley today released a joint statement announcing their commitment to work together to rebuild the Chesapeake Bay's blue crab population. The Governors made the following statement after they were briefed by state scientists on the results of this year's winter dredge survey:
"Our review today of the winter 2007/2008 dredge survey results has confirmed our increased concerns: The Chesapeake Bay's blue crab population is suffering near historic lows in spawning stock and unacceptably high fishing rates - an estimated 60% of the available crabs were caught in 2007. The evidence is clear that our most valuable commercial fishery is in imminent danger - producing in 2007 one of the worst harvest years on record - and at risk for an economic collapse.
"Maryland and Virginia must act now, and we must act together, to reduce harvest pressure on blue crabs immediately, and in so doing, protect both the biological and the economic sustainability of our shared resource. Not to act would be irresponsible.
"We learned from our experts today that our crab populations are down 70 percent from 1990 levels and are showing no signs of recovery, despite the last harvest reduction actions taken in 2001, which initially helped stabilize an earlier decline. We also learned that our best chance to return to a healthy, more productive population quickly is to focus on protecting mature female crabs. To that end, our scientists have recommended a reduction of 34% in the 2008 harvest of female crabs. This will lead to a projected increase of 20-26 million female crabs left in the bay to spawn.
"Each year, tens of millions of mature, egg-bearing female crabs migrate down the Bay in the fall, in preparation for releasing their eggs the following summer. We must do a better job of protecting these crabs if we are to rebuild our blue crab stocks and the economy that they sustain.
"The blue crab rests at the heart of our culture and heritage. The blue crab industry is an important financial driver for many small Bay communities, with an annual economic impact of $120 million to $200 million bay-wide, and provides a livelihood for thousands of people.
"We know that a variety of environmental factors - degraded water quality and loss of submerged aquatic vegetation, in particular - have disrupted the balance of the Bay ecosystem and likely contributed to the decline of the fishery. Both Virginia and Maryland are committed to improving the health of the Bay's waters. We have taken bold steps to improve water quality and are working to accelerate our efforts.
"Blue crabs are a public trust resource owned by the citizens of Maryland and Virginia. The most immediate opportunity to rebuild the crab population is through a reduction in harvest pressure. Unfortunately, we cannot rebuild this fishery without some short-term economic impact to the industry.
"Our goal of removing no more than 46 percent of the available crabs has been exceeded in eight of the last ten years - reaching 60 percent in 2007. We can not protect, let alone rebuild, a stock while we are overfishing at that rate. Therefore, we are directing our regulatory agencies to take immediate steps to reduce the 2008 crab harvest and to take all measures necessary to create a sustainable fishery.
"Fortunately, the blue crab is a resilient species. With effective management actions in place, we should see immediate increases in the spawning stock leading to significant population increases and harvest levels within a few short years.
"We are at an historic juncture today where Maryland and Virginia are collaborating at unprecedented levels. We will monitor our progress closely, tracking this year's harvest and scrutinizing the winter dredge survey results next year. And we are committed to working together, and with our stakeholders, to properly manage this species for the long-term. It is only by working together that we will achieve a bay-wide solution and return the Chesapeake blue crab to its rightful place of abundance in the Bay's ecology, economy and heritage."
Every summer it seems like bay beaches are closed for periods of time for "contaminated" water type problems. That can't be good for all the creatures that live in the water.
Maryland wouldn't be Maryland without blue crabs!!
Shellfish, of course, are not kosher. But being from Maryland, her family made an exception for crabs.
As of about 3 years ago, worldwide ocean stocks of fish had declined 90% (!!!!!) since the 1950's. We all know perfectly well that things haven't been getting any better.
Look at what happened to market hunting. It used to be big business. In the late 1800's, every grocery store sold passenger pigeon. It was the least expensive meat that you could buy, since the entire cost involved was just killing and butchering them. No feed or care required. That whole thing did not end well.
As recently as the early 20th century, any gentleman's table laid out for guests included a few canvasback ducks. Market hunters would go out on the water with enormous punt guns, which were essentially carronades that mounted to the bow of a boat and launched huge quantities of shot that could take out half a flock of ducks or geese in one go.
Examine any decent restaurant's menu from the same era and you will find terrapin soup available.
There is also the matter of the American bison, although that had more to do with selling hides and with a military policy of starving the Indians by wiping out the buffalo than it did with market hunting for food.
All of these once-booming industries and their formerly ubiquitous presence on American tables are testaments to the impracticality of market hunting. These products are all gone because large-scale harvesting of wild creatures for the purpose of feeding the multitudes is simply not sustainable. It's the tragedy of the commons.
Commercial fishing is just market hunting in the water. It ain't gonna last.
Out grandchildren will probably never taste crabs or lobsters unless they catch them themselves. Tuna will be entirely unknown to them. Sport hunting and fishing will likely be the only way that one can find out what any of these things taste like.
Personally, I'd have trouble bringing myself to kill a bird for any reason during the nesting season. But after the young are fledged, I'd be more than happy to look up some recipes for mute swan. Show me a place to hunt them and I'm there.
Mute swans aren't just bad for crab habitat. They compete for food and habitat with tundra swans and other native waterfowl and have contributed to the endangerment of those species. They have really got to be removed from the Bay ecosystem. They don't belong there.
Lowell: Any predator that is capable of catching one this 25 lb critter would make short work of dogs, cats, small children, and an unarmed Dick Cheney - the only apex predator left in the bay is the human.