Tweet
CCA Virginia Action Alert on the Possible Opening of the Crab Dredge Fishery for 2013-2014 Season After A Five Year Closure
The Virginia Marine Resources Commission(VMRC) will hold a public hearing to consider whether to close the 2013-14 Crab Dredge Fishery in its entirety, as required by Section 28.2-707 of the Code of Virginia at the VMRC Meeting on October 22, 2013 at 12:00 Noon.
CCA Virginia believes the crab dredge fishery is extremely destructive to the mostly female crabs that hibernate in the bottom of the southern Bay over the winter and should remain closed. Also, the crab dredge fishery is harmful to the flora and fauna, sponges, mussels, coral, sea worms and other bottom dwellers and structure that provide food and shelter for crabs and finfish. Furthermore, the female crabs that are harvested from the crab dredge fishery are a very low quality commercial product. A percentage of the mostly female crabs that are landed by the crab dredge fishery are broken and killed by the dredges.
Please send a letter or email to Robert O’Reilly requesting that the winter crab dredge fishery remained closed for the December 2013 through March 2014 season. A personal letter in your own words concerning the closure of the winter crab dredge fishery would be the best way to communicate your desires regarding the blue crab fishery. If you believe the crab dredge fishery should remain closed on a permanent basis then you should put that statement in your letter. If you do not have the time for a personal letter then there is a sample letter provided below. Please send your letter or email by October 18, 2013 so that your opinion on this issue can be copied and given to the members of VMRC by their meeting date.
Address your letter or email to:
Robert O’Reilly, Chief, Fisheries Management
Virginia Marine Resources Commission
2600 Washington Avenue, 3rd Floor
Newport News, VA 23607
Email rob.o'reilly@mrc.virginia.gov
Sample Letter
Robert O’Reilly, Chief, Fisheries Management
Virginia Marine Resources Commission
2066 Washington Avenue, 3rd Floor
Newport News, VA 23607
Dear Mr. O’Reilly,
I would like to provide my support for continuing to protect the portion of the female crab population that winter in the lower Chesapeake Bay by keeping the crab dredge fishery closed for the winter of 2013-14.
Sincerely,
Name
Address
City State Zip
Phone
Background Information:
VIMS and the state of Maryland have been conducting a Bay-wide Winter Dredge Survey(WDS) for a number of years. The 2013 Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Advisory Committee issued a final report in May of 2013 and the following are some quotes from that report. “The WDS measures the density of crabs (number per 1,000 square meters) at approximately 1,500 sites around the Bay. The measured densities of crabs are adjusted to account for the efficiency of the sampling gear and are expanded to reflect the area of Chesapeake Bay, providing an annual estimate of the number of over-wintering crabs by age and sex.” “In 2013, the total abundance of female crabs, as measured by the WDS declined 48% to 206.4 million crabs from the 2012 estimate of 400 million crabs.” “The female exploitation fraction in 2012 was below the recommended target of 25.5% for the sixth consecutive year. Although the abundance of adult female crabs has increased in 2013, recruitment was low in 2013 and the exploitable female stock declined by 66%. Additionally, the survival of 2012 recruits seems to have been very poor. Future catches could depend heavily on the survival and successful reproduction of the 2013 age-1+ females. Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee(CBSAC) finds this as further justification for a risk averse and cautious management approach that ensures harvest is adequately constrained relative to abundance.”
The Virginia Marine Resources Commission(VMRC) will hold a public hearing to consider whether to close the 2013-14 Crab Dredge Fishery in its entirety, as required by Section 28.2-707 of the Code of Virginia at the VMRC Meeting on October 22, 2013 at 12:00 Noon.
CCA Virginia believes the crab dredge fishery is extremely destructive to the mostly female crabs that hibernate in the bottom of the southern Bay over the winter and should remain closed. Also, the crab dredge fishery is harmful to the flora and fauna, sponges, mussels, coral, sea worms and other bottom dwellers and structure that provide food and shelter for crabs and finfish. Furthermore, the female crabs that are harvested from the crab dredge fishery are a very low quality commercial product. A percentage of the mostly female crabs that are landed by the crab dredge fishery are broken and killed by the dredges.
Please send a letter or email to Robert O’Reilly requesting that the winter crab dredge fishery remained closed for the December 2013 through March 2014 season. A personal letter in your own words concerning the closure of the winter crab dredge fishery would be the best way to communicate your desires regarding the blue crab fishery. If you believe the crab dredge fishery should remain closed on a permanent basis then you should put that statement in your letter. If you do not have the time for a personal letter then there is a sample letter provided below. Please send your letter or email by October 18, 2013 so that your opinion on this issue can be copied and given to the members of VMRC by their meeting date.
Address your letter or email to:
Robert O’Reilly, Chief, Fisheries Management
Virginia Marine Resources Commission
2600 Washington Avenue, 3rd Floor
Newport News, VA 23607
Email rob.o'reilly@mrc.virginia.gov
Sample Letter
Robert O’Reilly, Chief, Fisheries Management
Virginia Marine Resources Commission
2066 Washington Avenue, 3rd Floor
Newport News, VA 23607
Dear Mr. O’Reilly,
I would like to provide my support for continuing to protect the portion of the female crab population that winter in the lower Chesapeake Bay by keeping the crab dredge fishery closed for the winter of 2013-14.
Sincerely,
Name
Address
City State Zip
Phone
Background Information:
VIMS and the state of Maryland have been conducting a Bay-wide Winter Dredge Survey(WDS) for a number of years. The 2013 Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Advisory Committee issued a final report in May of 2013 and the following are some quotes from that report. “The WDS measures the density of crabs (number per 1,000 square meters) at approximately 1,500 sites around the Bay. The measured densities of crabs are adjusted to account for the efficiency of the sampling gear and are expanded to reflect the area of Chesapeake Bay, providing an annual estimate of the number of over-wintering crabs by age and sex.” “In 2013, the total abundance of female crabs, as measured by the WDS declined 48% to 206.4 million crabs from the 2012 estimate of 400 million crabs.” “The female exploitation fraction in 2012 was below the recommended target of 25.5% for the sixth consecutive year. Although the abundance of adult female crabs has increased in 2013, recruitment was low in 2013 and the exploitable female stock declined by 66%. Additionally, the survival of 2012 recruits seems to have been very poor. Future catches could depend heavily on the survival and successful reproduction of the 2013 age-1+ females. Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee(CBSAC) finds this as further justification for a risk averse and cautious management approach that ensures harvest is adequately constrained relative to abundance.”
Comment