Good news for crab lovers!

[woodleyparkhound]

O'Malley touts crab rebound, avoids talk of legislature
By John Wagner

Gov. Martin O'Malley ... reported at a news conference that the Chesapeake Bay’s overall blue crab population is at its highest level since 1993, and that the juvenile crab population is at its highest level on record.

Those results, from an annual winter dredge survey, are “living proof” that smart policy choices can help Mother Nature rebound, O’Malley said at an event staged at a crab house in Riva overlooking the Severn River.

“The kind of progress we’re making today really only happens when we’re working together,” O’Malley said, recalling that just a few years ago, female crabs were being overfished and “our fishery was at risk of complete collapse.”

[drewpbalzac]

I don't mind if the prices stay high as long as I am getting Chesapeake Bay Blues . . . .when places slip in non-local crabs, particularly that nasty imported stuff, and charge inflated prices is when I get ticked off.

[VaPaula]

Good news. I'd like to think that some of my contributions to The Chesapeake Bay Foundation since moving to VA had something to do with it. :-)

Regarding price, the cynic in me says no way will it have an impact - we'll still be gouged.

[Ziv]

I wonder what effect this will have on crab prices, very few of my friends consider eating crab now. When I was at College Park in the 80's there were take out crab shacks all over, now almost all are gone. I think pretty soon crab shacks will have gone the way of the old blue collar oyster bars, priced out of existence and gone for so long that most people don't even remember them. I remember chicken necking for crabs with my girlfriend bayside at OC in '84 and getting nearly a bushel in 2 hours, it would be great if kids can do that again this year.

[cfoodie]

The question is, whether the high crab prices of the recent years would come down any with such new abundance.