Delegate Wood thanked Dr. Rugolo for his presentation. The Bi-State Blue Crab Advisory Committee portion of the Commission meeting was concluded. Dr. Cronin began his talk by noting that blue crab management should be based on sound science. He observed that the blue crab is a single species in the Chesapeake Bay and that fact should be reflected in actions taken to manage the crab fishery in Maryland, Virginia, and the Potomac River. Coordinated management is essential.
Limited entry is a valuable management tool.
It is easily enforced and can provide an effective cap on total effort. The effectiveness of the fall closure by Maryland in 1995 is difficult to assess. Crabbers in the lower part of Maryland had lower catches in 1995. The reduction in Maryland's catch was partially off-set by an increase in Virginia's winter catch. The 1996 spawning stock was increased, but a causal relationship between the fall closure and the increased spawning stock cannot be determined.