States worried about crab harvests

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — An annual survey of blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay is due out Tuesday. Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine will announce the survey results in Colonial Beach, Virginia.

Scientists say the Chesapeake’s crab population has been low for a decade and is in danger of going into serious decline if the two states don’t ratchet back their harvests.

Maryland has announced it may cut this year’s harvest of female crabs up to 40 percent to help boost the popu-lation. Virginia is looking at similar cuts.
A final decision on how the states plan to protect adult females could come in a few weeks. Tuesday, the governors could shed more light on how the two states hope to mitigate economic harm to crabbers as they try to restrict the catch.