Evening star., 1936-08-23
By John Jay DAILY.

= ANCTUAR1ES for crabs - the
blue crabs of the Chesapeake
Bay. Sanctuaries similar to
- those provided for wild geese
and ducks, other birds of the air and
beasts of the forest. Unless such
sanctuaries are soon placed in opera
ton, this particular species of crab
will disappear from the waters OF the
earth. So says DR.. r. v. Truitt, pro-
fessor of zoology at the University of
Maryland and director of the Chesa-
peake Biological Laboratory at Solo,
mons Island.
Established in 1881 for scientific
research in the marine life of Mary
land, the Chesapeake Biological Lab
oratory-under the direction of DR..
Truitt-has made the most extensive
study of the blue crab ever recorded.
Even now, men are down in Lynn
haven Bay watching the ways and
manners of the crab. All those asso-
ciated with the enthusiastic DR.. Truitt
see little hope for the future Of the
crab until the two States most inter
ested-Maryland and Virginia, with
perhaps the help of the Federal Gov
ernment-get together and set up
sanctuaries of SO to 500, to 1000 acres,
where the crabs may persue life, lib
erty and happiness.
Once so plentiful that they swan
In swarms, the blue crabs of the
Chesapeake Bay are now on the point
of extinction-on the way out. And
there are various reasons for this de-
plorable state of affairs. One of them
is a war being waged in the grabbing
industry between two factions, men
of Maryland and of Virginia. Unless
they are prevailed upon to cooperate
in some conservation plan, providing
sanctuary for the fast disappearing
crab, this choice delicacy will be but
q memory in years to come.
Purchasable at IS cents a barrel
some 20 years ago. the present crab
crop sells at So a barrel retail. Even
at such prices, men in the distribut-
ing end of the business look upon the
merchandising of this delectable as
an almost total loss. They claim they
cannot make a fair profit on crabs.
They die at the rate of one-third of
a barrel every "a hours. The only
reason these men continue to bother
with crabs, they said. is because the
fish busineSs-counterpart to the
Grabbing induStry-S on a paying
basis. Crabs are carried along merely
for the good will of customers.
THIS part of America, at least, is
crab conscious. Its people have
been eating crabs from time imme-
morial-and they like crabs served in
any number of ways. Even though
they are close to the source of sup
ply, people of this region know little
or nothing Of what is going on in the
grabbing industry. That is only
natural.
Small crabs, immature crabs, thrown
on the open market, are part of the
two-edged sword cutting down what
was once a great industry. peculiar to
this part of the country. When crabs
were in superabundance, the Chesa-
peake Bay hard-crab industry was
rated at a $4,000, ,000-a-year business
This present season sees that figure
dwindle to $75,000-for the year.
Once $4,000 persons earned liveli-
hood from grabbing. Now less than
a thousand are employed gathering
and shipping and selling the she'll
fish. This Is what happens when
man takes it into his head to beat
down nature.
All up and down the Chesapeake
Bay, natural habitat of the blue crab.
towns are disappearing because of the
impending death of what was recently
real industry.
Notable in this respect is the case
OF Holland Island, once a thriving
community of 500 inhabitants, with
churches, schools, a post office and
comfortable homes to house its people.
Holland Island is now deserted vii
lage, going to decay. Not a man,
woman or child remains on the island.
All gone because the grabbing industry
reached the vanishing point there.
This is supreme tragedy.
The crab as a sea food is Gods
great gift to the Chesapeake Bay
region. No other place on earth does
It so flourish. What happened to the
industry Is this: Man destroyed Gods
handiwork, or wrecked it. according to
DR.. Truitt, a native Marylander, who
intends to devote the rest of his life
fighting for the preservation of the
crab, If that Is humanity possible. A
sanctuary for crabs Is the doctors
idea.
RORN over on the Eastern Shore. by
Chincoteague, DR.. Truitt is said to
know more about the blue crab of the
Chesapeake than any other human
being. Since he was boy he has been
interested in the life history of the
crab. When he became recognized
biologist he went at the work in
earnest. So he feels keenly about the
situation confronting the grabbing in
dustry Some of its besetting sins he
holds to be nothing short of high crime
and misdemeanor.
As biologist, a student Of the ways
Of the crab, DR.. Truitt sees In this
peculiar species just as much romance
as Maeterlinck found in the life Of
the bee.