State of the Maryland Crab Announcement Today

Calling all Maryland Crab lovers- Gov. Martin O'Malley is planning to make a major announcement on the future of the blue crab industry today. While there are no updates on exactly what he'll announce, we can only guess it's tied to the Chesapeake Bay Program's report issued last week.

As many of you know, the blue crab in the Chesapeake is not exactly a plentiful resource. Anyone wanting to practice sustainable eating should eat blue crab responsibly and not over-indulge in a year the crab numbers are low. According the the Post's News Blog, the Chesapeake Bay Program rated the bay's health at 45 out of 100.  While that is up 6% from last year, that doesn't mean that it's "good".  Weather and pollution are major factors in bay health which means they're major factors in blue crab population.

What can you do to save the crab population? Quit polluting the bay for starters. I found another interesting suggestion on CNN.com. It appears Chesapeake Rays devastate the clams and oyster beds in the bay. Fisheries are trying to find a use for all of the rays, such as selling them to restaurants to put on their menus. I've never had it, but I admit I'm fascinated. I'm game for trying just about anything, especially if it's sustainable and actually helps another population.




More to come on the State of the Crab as word comes in from Gov. O'Malley's announcement.

UPDATE 4/14/10 2:49PM:
It's been announced that the crab are thriving! The crab population rose 60% according to a winter dredge survey. This has been credited to harvest restrictions. Get the full story from Forbes here.

Enjoy your summer filled with crabcakes and Old Bay!