Crabbing Restrictions

[kom526]

Once a thread get's personal - it's easy to tell who's backed into a corner.

Kom - that ain't cool.

I'm not making it personal, nor do I feel backed into a corner. Simply saying that they can "get another job" is not a solution.

So what do you think the watermen should do when there isn't enough crabs to be caught anymore? What can they take up?

I wasn't the one that came up with the "get another job" solution.

 

[CraneTaker77]

I agree with a moratorium. And for a little FYI the STATE sets creel limits, not the watermen. If they did then this would have happened 20 years ago. The STATE of Virginia has allowed winter dredging of crabs for as long as I can remember and now everybody is paying the price. Besides, I have a firm belief that there is more to the decline of the blue crab than than just over harvesting.

I'm just shooting down the over simplistic answer of get another job. Especially when that "solution" comes from someone who lives with her parents and does not have a family of her own to support.

you still didn't answer my question. whats going to happen if they don't make tighter regs, and the watermen can't catch no crabs? what are they going to do?

 

[tommyjones]

I agree with a moratorium. And for a little FYI the STATE sets creel limits, not the watermen. If they did then this would have happened 20 years ago. The STATE of Virginia has allowed winter dredging of crabs for as long as I can remember and now everybody is paying the price. Besides, I have a firm belief that there is more to the decline of the blue crab than than just over harvesting.

I'm just shooting down the over simplistic answer of get another job. Especially when that "solution" comes from someone who lives with her parents and does not have a family of her own to support.

well its either get some alternative income now, or lose your cash cow forever.


the watermen have been historically against any regulations on crabs, and their lobby has always been very vocal. The state could have forced the issue earlier, but because the watermen were against it, the state needed to document that the crabs were actually declining. studies like that take time

 

[bohman]

Could you quit your job right now and be able to support your family?

I've always gotten the impression that crabbing was a way to supplement income - that these guys already had other jobs, and crabbed as a way to make some extra. I could be wrong, I don't know any personally.

Seems to me that they are going to change jobs soon, anyway, when all the crabs are gone. I agree that it sucks for them, but they can change now & have a shot at crabbing again someday, or change in a couple more years & the whole thing will be gone.

 

[CraneTaker77]

I'm not making it personal, nor do I feel backed into a corner. Simply saying that they can "get another job" is not a solution.



I wasn't the one that came up with the "get another job" solution.

sorry kom, just saw that you did have a reply for the get another job, my bad. but honestly, what is going to happen if the population does get so bad that they do have to get another job? there is no gurantee that tighter regs could even help it. heck, maybe it's not just over harvesting, the rivers these days are polluted too. but you don't think that just in case the population doesn't get better, that they should be thinking of another alternative?

 

[CraneTaker77]

I've always gotten the impression that crabbing was a way to supplement income - that these guys already had other jobs, and crabbed as a way to make some extra. I could be wrong, I don't know any personally.

Seems to me that they are going to change jobs soon, anyway, when all the crabs are gone. I agree that it sucks for them, but they can change now & have a shot at crabbing again someday, or change in a couple more years & the whole thing will be gone.

thats my whole point in what I'm saying, that a couple people can't seem to understand, I'm not sitting here to bash anyone. it's a hard life to be a waterman, it takes devotion. but they should always know that things can get rough, thats the occupation that they chose.

 

[Baja28]

I've always gotten the impression that crabbing was a way to supplement income - that these guys already had other jobs, and crabbed as a way to make some extra. I could be wrong, I don't know any personally.

Seems to me that they are going to change jobs soon, anyway, when all the crabs are gone. I agree that it sucks for them, but they can change now & have a shot at crabbing again someday, or change in a couple more years & the whole thing will be gone.

Watermen do a lot of things. They crab, fish (with nets) oyster and eel.

If they don't do something about those damn trap nest, the fish will be gone soon too. Sad.

 

[CraneTaker77]

Watermen do a lot of things. They crab, fish (with nets) oyster and eel.

If they don't do something about those damn trap nest, the fish will be gone soon too. Sad.

are you talking about the "bank traps" that they put out aways from the shore?

 

[tommyjones]

are you talking about the "bank traps" that they put out aways from the shore?

he is talking about 'pound nets'

bank traps (peeler traps) were outlawed a couple of years ago

 

[CraneTaker77]

he is talking about 'pound nets'

bank traps (peeler traps) were outlawed a couple of years ago

ahh got ya, theres one of them across from the beach where I live. I should have known that one. My dad's buddy had one, and ducks and turtles would always get into them and die. Correct me if I'm wrong, but thats the same with pound nets too?

 

[CraneTaker77]

Animals don't die as frequently in pound nets because there is always airspace. Extremely high tides made bank traps lethal to anything that required air to breath. If the pound nets are tended often there should be very little mortality of air breathers.

There is however, the potential for a lot of fish mortality in pound nets. Especially when oxygen levels go low, and fish are trapped in the nets.

ahh I see, I could see why that would pose a problem for the fish, especially when the owners don't get out to them often enough. Thanks for the info Crow Bait.

 

[dt5255]

You know I have sat here and read all of these posts and it really gets me mad. Most of you are blaming the waterman for the decline in the crabbing. How about all the recreational "Chicken Neckers" who go out and catch their bushel, take it home, then go out and do that as many times as they can during the day and then go out and sell the crabs. My husband is a "St. Mary's County Waterman" and that is all he has done all his life. You don't know how many times he has come home and told me about recreational crabbers being out there all day catching 4-5 bushels of crabs. These are people he knows that have government jobs or other well paying jobs and they just go out there to get "drinking money" . Where are all the Marine police???? Shouldn't they be checking on all of these crabbers. Then there are the ####### commercial crabbers that get 10 - 15 bushels of crabs out of the pound nets. I have a neighbor that does that. It just pisses me off that it is all blamed on the waterman alone. The recreational crabber is just as bad.

 

[Baja28]

No he's talking about Pound Nets. The ones with the stakes. Bank traps were mini versions of pound nets, made out of chicken wire. They were banned a few years ago.

he is talking about 'pound nets'

bank traps (peeler traps) were outlawed a couple of years ago

 

[Baja28]

You know I have sat here and read all of these posts and it really gets me mad. Most of you are blaming the waterman for the decline in the crabbing. How about all the recreational "Chicken Neckers" who go out and catch their bushel, take it home, then go out and do that as many times as they can during the day and then go out and sell the crabs. My husband is a "St. Mary's County Waterman" and that is all he has done all his life. You don't know how many times he has come home and told me about recreational crabbers being out there all day catching 4-5 bushels of crabs. These are people he knows that have government jobs or other well paying jobs and they just go out there to get "drinking money" . Where are all the Marine police???? Shouldn't they be checking on all of these crabbers. Then there are the ####### commercial crabbers that get 10 - 15 bushels of crabs out of the pound nets. I have a neighbor that does that. It just pisses me off that it is all blamed on the waterman alone. The recreational crabber is just as bad.

You have got to be effing kidding me. yea, chicken neckers are destroying the 300-400 pot commercial crabbers. You are lost in outer space.

 

[CraneTaker77]

You know I have sat here and read all of these posts and it really gets me mad. Most of you are blaming the waterman for the decline in the crabbing. How about all the recreational "Chicken Neckers" who go out and catch their bushel, take it home, then go out and do that as many times as they can during the day and then go out and sell the crabs. My husband is a "St. Mary's County Waterman" and that is all he has done all his life. You don't know how many times he has come home and told me about recreational crabbers being out there all day catching 4-5 bushels of crabs. These are people he knows that have government jobs or other well paying jobs and they just go out there to get "drinking money" . Where are all the Marine police???? Shouldn't they be checking on all of these crabbers. Then there are the ####### commercial crabbers that get 10 - 15 bushels of crabs out of the pound nets. I have a neighbor that does that. It just pisses me off that it is all blamed on the waterman alone. The recreational crabber is just as bad.

I'm a "chicken necker" and I have never sold a bushel of crabs. Me and my Father both have a crabbers liscense and if you have that you are entitled to a bushel per person. But...I rarely get more than a bushel. I can eat a bushel of crabs all week long. I only cook a dozen at a time. Some people actually go out crabbing to get them to eat, not sell. It isn't all about the money.

I agree with Crow Bait, the crabs belong to everyone, and everyone has to do there part to help the come back. Whether you are a commercial crabber or a chicken necker as DT has called them, we all need to take action now.

 

[dt5255]

You have got to be effing kidding me. yea, chicken neckers are destroying the 300-400 pot commercial crabbers. You are lost in outer space.

I'm soooooo sorry let me come back to earth.\

First off I didn't say a word about crab pots. My husband dosen't crab pot or set pound nets. He uses only trot lines, as do recreational crabbers. Most of the eastern shore waterman use crab pots and yes , they need to be controlled. They are only allowed to fish so many pots a day but they think they are being smart. Say they are allowed to fish 300 pots a day. They set out 900 pots, fish 300 one day, next day they fish 300 different pots, the nest the last 300. By the time they get back to the first 300 they have been sitting there for 3 days and half of the crabs are dead. I agree that something needs to be done but it needs to be done to everyone even the chicken neckers.

 

[dt5255]

DT,

I agree with you on many levels. However, DNR found that the recreational harvest of crabs is only about 10% of the total.

I don't think anyone here is saying that recreational crabbers won't accept some of the recovery burden. They are saying that everyone has to prepare themselves to shoulder an equal share of the burden.

Further to the point - As a public resource crabs belong to everone, not just commercial crabbers. I feel sorry for the guys that have to make a living off the resource in these difficult times, and I realize many of them will have to adapt.

It's easy to turn this into an allocation argument - but it's not. Every way you look at it, crabs are overharvested. Even with poor water quality - they can easily recover - with proper management.

Finally, there are ALWAYS law breakers. I hope your husband keeps the "catch a poacher" phone number handy and is prepared to use it when he sees people breaking fish and game laws. Even if they don't show up, it's important to report it.

I agree with you and yes he has a phone number that he has used several times to no avail. The one thing I don't agree with is the 10% thing. How do they know that when they don't have to report their catch like we do every month.

 

[Baja28]

I'm soooooo sorry let me come back to earth.\

First off I didn't say a word about crab pots. My husband dosen't crab pot or set pound nets. He uses only trot lines, as do recreational crabbers. Most of the eastern shore waterman use crab pots and yes , they need to be controlled. They are only allowed to fish so many pots a day but they think they are being smart. Say they are allowed to fish 300 pots a day. They set out 900 pots, fish 300 one day, next day they fish 300 different pots, the nest the last 300. By the time they get back to the first 300 they have been sitting there for 3 days and half of the crabs are dead. I agree that something needs to be done but it needs to be done to everyone even the chicken neckers.

Pound nets don't catch crabs for commercial harvest, they catch fish.

I never heard of commercial crabbing a trot line. No wonder he's not making money.

Have you been out on our local waters? Crab pots cover the shallows all around us, not just on the eastern shore. They need to be stopped now before we lose a fabulous resource.

 

[dt5255]

I'm a "chicken necker" and I have never sold a bushel of crabs. Me and my Father both have a crabbers liscense and if you have that you are entitled to a bushel per person. But...I rarely get more than a bushel. I can eat a bushel of crabs all week long. I only cook a dozen at a time. Some people actually go out crabbing to get them to eat, not sell. It isn't all about the money.

I agree with Crow Bait, the crabs belong to everyone, and everyone has to do there part to help the come back. Whether you are a commercial crabber or a chicken necker as DT has called them, we all need to take action now.

I apoligize to you. There are some people that just go out to catch some to eat. but there are alot that go to catch whatever they can and sell them.

 

[CraneTaker77]

Pound nets don't catch crabs for commercial harvest, they catch fish.

I never heard of commercial crabbing a trot line. No wonder he's not making money.

Have you been out on our local waters? Crab pots cover the shallows all around us, not just on the eastern shore. They need to be stopped now before we lose a fabulous resource.

I've actually heard of commercial trot lining. I live in golden beach, and the guys who are commercial do it. Recreational crabbers aren't allowed to have a trot line more than 1500 ft I believe. So you can't have more trot line than 1500 ft all together if that makes sense? Commercial crabbers can have more lines than that, I'm not to sure on the number of lines they can have, I don't want to guess at the number and be wrong. I don't believe it is very lucrative like the crab pots. It seems very tedius especially if your in a larger boat.