Evening journal., 1905-09-08
MANY CRABS IN
MARYLAND WATERS
Six Thousand Men
Are Engaged in Fishing
for Them
CAPITAL INVESTED S2l87l

Results Of an investigation OF the crab
industry n Maryland by Mr. Winthrop
A. Roberts agent OF The Bureau of lIsh-
cries, have been embodied in an interest
ing report made public boy that bureau.
Maryland furnishes by far larger sup
ply of crabs than amy other State in the
Union Its people were the first TO dis
cover the edible qualities of the crab and
its value as a market product. THE only
Species taken In the commercial fisheries
of the State is the blue cab which is
caught and marketed in both the hard
shell and the soft shell condition.
Most OF the data I'm the report was coll
lected boy Mr.. Roberts during an inrcsu-
cation of The fisheries at Maryland ia 1872.
He listed the entire crab producing Tee
gion of the State and interviewed most
Of the fishermen ana dealers.
MEN AND VESSELS ENGAGED.
The report shows that the total num-
Der of men engaged u the Maryland
crab fisheries at the time of the iuycstl-
cation was 5.asS. SiNty-nme vessels. valu-
ed at $4,000, were employed. ,5 being en-
gagged in taking crabs and "A in transport
ing them. The boats used numbered 4.0Ss.
valued at Sl-5Sl7. Including vessels. boats
apparatus, shore property and cash capi-
tai, the investment in the fishery was
32l94 The catch was 129i0.7i5 soft crabs.
valued at S20256l and -947i.379 hard crabs
valued at So $50. Tho largest cntchcs OF
soft crabs were made with scr1pcs. the
value of the catch by this apparatus
heing nearly double that taken in scoop
nets which was the next important APP
paratus. Practically the entire hari-rrab-
catch was obtained ON trot line. 1.l3S of
these lines. valued at S447i, being opcat-
ed. A few hard crab also were taken in
scrapcs during the soft-crab season. A
few were also taken in dredgcs during
tho oyster season; Sl04M worth of soft
crabs was taken incidentally along with
hard crabs on trot lines as "doublers.'
Mr.. Roberts declares that Crisheld, at
the extreme lower end of Somerset coun-
ty. ON the Little AnnemesseX river. "a tri-
butary of Tangier sound. is the greatest
crab shipping point in che United States.
This town not only receives the catch
taken from Maryland waters in it's vicini-
ty. but also the principal part of the
INu4lCr lsldlN cdNlN. AfN.tl lnifNilN lAilA7
next to Crisfeld as shipping point but
has the benefit of steamboat transnorta-
ton only. While Cristield ha train SER
vice in addition Practically an of the
soft crab catch in other Grabbing locai-
tie of the state is sold TO shippers at
these two places.
Speaking of the distribution Of the pros
ducts of the soft-crab industry Mr.. Rob
erts says:
by reason of the exwcme care used
( in packing the crabs can he kept alive
from go to 20 hours after leaving the wa-
ter, and crabs shipped from Crishcld %
Canada arrive at their destination alive
and IN good condition. In the early days
Of the fishery poolers' were shipped from
Deal Island in large box holding 500
neither scawoed nor ice being used. They
were sent only as FAR as Baltimore. how
ever. At present most of the cfabs arc
shipped directly to the consumer, and the
packers do not hesitate 20 mn the smal-
est order. Competition among the pack
/ cr is very keen. and considerable secrecy
is observed regarding the destination. Of
shipments
while the great bulk Of the catch I'm
fact nearly an Of it, is shipped in tho