“Sound management of the species is vital to ensure the sustainability of this natural resource, which supports commercial, recreational, and subsistence fisheries,” the Members affirm. Current, comprehensive information is needed to understand this disconnect, as well as to identify and address other factors attributed to the low overall population, including water quality, changes in weather patterns associated with climate change, habitat loss, and predation, including by invasive species such as blue catfish and northern snakehead.” “While these results suggest that the blue crab population is not depleted relative to the reference points, worryingly, juvenile abundance has not responded to increases in female abundance as expected. Approximately 97 million mature female crabs were estimated to be present in the Bay at the start of the 2022 crabbing season, which is above the abundance threshold of 72.5 million adult females, but well below the target of 196 million,” the Members of Congress write. This year saw the Bay’s lowest number of crabs observed (227 million crabs) in the survey’s history. “The 2022 survey demonstrates the complexity of the blue crab fishery. Department of Commerce leadership to initiate a new benchmark stock assessment for the Chesapeake Bay blue crab population, in line with the recommendations of leading scientists and fisheries managers.įollowing the lowest-ever blue crab population estimates in this year’s winter dredge survey, the Members of Congress called for expedient action to be undertaken using funding from the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) or the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Raskin and David Trone (all Md.) today urged U.S. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Andy Harris, M.D., Anthony G. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Steny H.
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