Dispelling the Myths: Crab Decline

Does a decline in Maryland blue crab mean distribution of a lower quality product?

If too many Maryland blue crabs are harvested, they will disappear. If soil from nearby farmlands erodes badly, feeding into the estuaries, they will disappear. If pesticides are thoughtlessly sprayed in the area, they will disappear. Water and air pollution, over-harvesting and careless farm erosion are just a few of the factors contributing to the alarming decline of Maryland blue crab in the Chesapeake Bay.

Since 1990, it is reported that there has been a 65 to 70 percent decrease in blue crab, depending on the source. Recently, federal officials issued a much sought-after disaster declaration for the Chesapeake Bay blue crab fishery, declaring funding for watermen to help deal with severe harvesting limitations.

To deal with these plunging crab numbers, the states of Maryland and Virginia have cut the female crab harvest by more than a third and shortened the season. The regulations impose daily limits and close the crabbing season in October, two months earlier than in past years. Such restrictions have been put in place to help increase blue crab numbers for future seasons and re-establish the watermen.

Various seafood industry people lament that the weaker crab season has resulted in a willingness of some sellers to pass lower-quality crabs to the market. However, good sourcing allows local distributors, such as CrabPlace.com, located in the heart of the Chesapeake Bay region, to continue to offer large, healthy and plentiful blue crabs with steady prices.

Although pollution, over-harvesting and local farm erosion has contributed to a decline in blue crabs, the reality is, the Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab stock is still cyclical – with some seasons up, and some seasons down. Blue crabs migrate throughout the year, allowing distributors to balance seasons by sourcing from multiple areas, buying from only the best and providing customers with the highest quality product available.

High quality distributors source from several different areas in domestic US waters throughout the year, to assure they receive the best quality blue crabs available. When it comes to blue crab, quality is of the highest importance, whether it comes from Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina or Louisiana.

It is true that seasonal blue crab numbers are in fact down. And at the end of the day, that is not something distributors have much control over. But, one thing distributors can control is the quality of crab passing through their doors. And as far as high-quality distributors are concerned, when it comes to blue crab, quality is one thing that will never decline.