Question of the Week: When does blue crab season begin?

Welcome to the latest installment of the BayBlog Question of the Week! Each week, we're taking a question submitted on the Chesapeake Bay Program website, or a frequently asked question, and answering it here for all to read.

This week's question is one that is probably on a lot of people's minds right about now since it is one of the most anticipated events in the Chesapeake Bay watershed every year:

When does the Maryland blue crab harvest season begin? What are the regulations for this year's harvest?

When people think of Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay, they inevitably think about blue crabs. As the weather turns warmer, you can begin to taste the Old Bay. Whether you enjoy going crabbing, ordering crabcakes or sitting at a summer crab feast picking them for hours on end, the blue crab is undeniably a favorite and definitive species in the Chesapeake Bay. In fact, it is estimated that one-third of the nation's blue crabs come from the Chesapeake Bay.

Luckily for those crab-lovers out there, the time is here. Maryland's blue crab harvest officially began yesterday, April 1, and will continue until Dec. 15.

The regulations for blue crab harvest vary based on whether you are crabbing for commercial or recreational purposes. Check the information below for minimum size requirements and time regulations.

Crabbing Hours

• Pot/trap set beginning time: 1/2 hour before sunrise
• Pot/trap set ending time: 7 1/2 hours after sunrise
• Pots aboard boat: 8 1/2 hours after sunrise

Commercial Crabbing Soft Shell Size Minimum

• All season: 3 1/2 inches

Commercial Crabbing Hard Shell Size Minimum

• Mature Females: NO size minimum
• April 1-July 14, hard shell: 5 inches
• July 15-Dec. 15, hard shell: 5 1/4 inches
• April 1-July 14, peeler: 3 1/4 inches
• July 15-Dec. 15, peeler: 3 1/2 inches

Recreational Crabbing Soft Shell Size Minimum

• All season: 3 1/2 inches

Recreational Crabbing Hard Shell Size Minimum

• Harvest of females is prohibited, unless soft shell
• April 1-July 14, male hard shell: 5 inches
• July 15-Dec. 15, male hard shell: 5 1/4 inches
• April 1-July 14, male peeler: 3 1/4 inches
• July 15-Dec. 15, male peeler: 3 1/2 inches

Check the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Service webpage for more specific and localized information about the Maryland crabbing season. It is important to follow all regulations for harvest in order to sustain the health of the blue crab fishery in the Chesapeake Bay, but be sure get out there and enjoy the Bay this spring and summer!

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