Sponsored by Chesapeake Bay Seafoods Industries Association (CBSIA) 1
Maryland Crab Landings 1995-2015 Andrew Tolley 8/1/16 Executive Summary A proposed Packing House Supply Pilot Program (By Rep Johnny Maltz, District 37B, Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot and Wicomico) acknowledged a problem: The commercial crab industry in Queen Anne, Talbot, Dorchester, Wicomico and Somerset Counties utilize a packing house market value. This proposal addressed trot lines and 5 inch crabs. The Maltz proposal has documented some real concerns, but does not go far enough in addressing significant Maryland crab harvesting, processing and economic crab industry issues. These issues have a very significant effect on Dorchester County watermen and processors. The goal of this report is to examine Maryland Crab Landings by NOAA Code, year, and month from 1995 to 2015 and examine the effect of MDNR regulations on the Eastern Shore crab industry. NOAA Codes are significant because they separate by area and show harvest data and timing. This is significant in terms of quantities and timing of catch in different areas. Regulations may be harmless to one area and devastating to another. The results of this report indicate that: 1) 5 male crab size limits should remain all through the season. 2) An increase in Female harvest is indicated by data from DNR. NOAA Codes Areas The NOAA Chart below is from the Maryland DNR Daily Record of Commercial Crabbing 2016. Landings are reported by crabbers to these areas, or NOAA Codes. 2
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Dorchester County NOAA Codes In 2015 DNR Crab Landings, for these Dorchester County adjacent NOAA areas, show the following significant percentage of Maryland Statewide crab harvest were caught in these NOAA codes. 59 % of total crab landings in 2015 came from these NOAA codes areas. These areas are not exclusive to Dorchester, but are a significant supply to the Dorchester watermen and processors. 027 Chesapeake Bay, North of Cove Point and South of Bay Bridge 029 Chesapeake Bay, South of Cove Point 043 Fishing Bay 047 Honga River 037 Choptank River 053 Little Choptank River 062 Nanticoke River #1 s 64 % #2 s 49 % Females 65 % Mixed 50 % Peelers/soft 12 % Total 59% 4
Dorchester Licensed Crabbers. Licensed crabber data form DNR shows Dorchester County ranked (along with Somerset County) as 1) Having greater than 5 % of Licenses, and 2) greater that.5% of the county population as a crabbing license. Dorchester had 533 crabber licenses, 10.1% of the county population and 1.64% of state wide licenses. Dorchester was only surpassed by Anne Arundel County in numbers of crabber licenses, with 562 licensed crabbers, but with only 1/10 of 1% of the population. Distribution of 2015 Commercial Crabbing Licenses in Maryland County # of licenses (LCC, LCM, CB3 & TFL) %of total licenses %of county population that has a license County Population Crab Processors % Processors Dorchester 533 10.1% 1.64% 32,578 9 75% Kent 270 5.1% 1.36% 19,820 Somerset 349 6.6% 1.35% 25,859 1 8% Talbot 505 9.6% 1.34% 37,643 2 17% Queen Anne s 470 8.9% 0.96% 48,804 Cecil 215 4.1% 0.66% 32,538 St Mary s 481 9.1% 0.44% 110,382 Calvert 249 4.7% 0.27% 90,613 Worchester 142 2.7% 0.27% 51,675 Charles 268 5.1% 0.16% 167,830 Caroline 205 3.9% 0.13% 154,747 Wicomico 110 2.1% 0.11% 101,539 Anne Arundel 562 10.7% 0.10% 560,133 Harford 183 3.5% 0.07% 250,105 Carroll 56 1.1% 0.05% 102,383 Baltimore County 447 8.5% 0.05% 826,925 Washington 20 0.4% 0.01% 149,573 Prince Georges 98 1.9% 0.01% 904,403 Frederick 24 0.5% 0.01% 243,675 Howard 27 0.5% 0.01% 309,284 Baltimore City 41 0.8% 0.01% 622,793 Montgomery 12 0.2% 0.00% 1,030,447 Total 5267 12 100% 5
Due to Dorchester County s location in the central bay, and proximity to the NOAA Code areas above, it also has the highest number of crab processing plants in Maryland. Dorchester County, 75% of Maryland crabs processors. In a recent report to the South Dorchester Folk Museum about the history of the Dorchester County Seal, a comparison was made between crab processors operating in the county between 1967 to 2015. In this 50 year period, the significance of crabs and watermen, as shown in the seal, have not diminished in Dorchester County, but the watermen and the processors have had to suffer with major reductions in crabs they can catch and process. This has had a major impact on employment and developments in food processing technology. Two major crab fisheries decisions have adversely affected Dorchester County watermen and processors: 1. Female Limits. 2. 5 1/4 male crab sizes. Delegate Maltz has documented these issues. But his solution does not go far enough in recognizing the extent of the problem. 6
Considerations of Location and Time of Crab Harvest Below are 2 charts of Maryland crab landings from 1995 to 2015, One is for the winter dredged survey. The other is a chart of total crabs harvested during the same period. Data from DNR Website Data from DNR Landings. These are long term statistics to compare crabs from the dredged survey to pounds of crabs caught. The harvest closely follows the dredge survey. The last 2 years, however, show a higher increase in survey count, but not a comparable increase in crabs harvested. After doing a comparison of the dredged crab survey crab count, a calculation of pounds harvested into each crab category (#1, #2, Females, Mixed and Peelers) were changed from pounds to a crab count to compare the per cent of the harvest compared to the survey. The table below shows the ratio between crab numbers and crabs in a pound of harvest. Crab Catoregy Crabs per pound # 1 s 2 #2 s 2.5 Females 3 Mixed 3.5 Soft/Peeler 10 7
Notice the Dredge Survey crab count can spike without a corresponding increase in Harvest crab count. Notice the calculated Harvest crab count does not benefit from an increase in count due to harvest and season limits. Notice the recent uptick in dredged landing. This indicates the harvest should be increase. 8
When these landings pounds are calculated to create a crab count to compare to the DNR Dredged Crab Survey, the table below shows a % harvest of crabs based on the Dredged Survey Count. Year Dredged Survey Count Harvested crab Count % of harvest to Dredge Count 1995 487 134 27% 1996 661 110 17% 1997 680 115 17% 1998 353 75 21% 1999 308 93 30% 2000 281 60 21% 2001 254 70 28% 2002 315 70 22% 2003 334 77 23% 2004 270 92 34% 2005 400 86 21% 2006 313 79 25% 2007 251 71 28% 2008 293 120 41% 2009 396 117 30% 2010 663 157 24% 2011 452 141 31% 2012 765 116 15% 2013 300 70 23% 2014 297 75 25% 2015 411 92 22% 2016 553 The average per cent harvest calculates 25% harvest rate over a 20 year period. Crabs per pounds are less than 25% of Harvested crabs to Dredged Survey in three of the last 5 years. Conclusion: It appears since 2012 a lesser than average quantity of crabs has been harvested from the winter dredged survey amount. This appears to be too conservative management by DNR. 9
Location of Harvests Due to the life cycle of the crab and the extent of the Chesapeake Bay, the location dictates the harvest in any specific area. 3 areas of the Bay were selected for this report, by NOAA code combinations to show the differences in quantities of landings. Upper, Middle and Lower, indicated by colors. Below is a graph of 2015 Maryland Landing baywide. The next page will show landings from data from DNR NOAA Code areas. Maryland Crab Landings by Month (Except Oceans), Annual, 2015 3,500,000 3,000,000 2,500,000 2,000,000 1,500,000 1,000,000 500,000 0 Crabs in Pounds #1 #2 Females Mixed Peeler/Soft 10
The graphs below show the 2015 year averages of landings by Month for the North, Middle and South areas. These three graphs show the diversity in timing and quantity of crab harvests. It also demonstrates why each area has different economics. 11
North Bay Crab Landings by Month, 2015 NOAA Codes: 014,025,031,055,066,082,088, 600,000 400,000 200,000 0 Crabs in Pounds #1 #2 Females Mixed Soft/Peeler 2,500,000 2,000,000 1,500,000 1,000,000 500,000 0 Crabs, in Pounds Middle Bay Crab Landings by Month, 2015 NOAA Codes: 027,037,039,043,047,053,060,062,099 #1's #2's Females Mixed Peeler/Soft 1,600,000 1,400,000 1,200,000 1,000,000 800,000 600,000 400,000 200,000 0 South Bay Crab Landings by Month, 2015 NOAA Codes: 005,029,057,072,074,092,096 #1's #2's Females Mixed Peelers/Soft 12
Conclusion: 1. 1. 5 vs 5 1/4 males minimum size limits. It is critical for Dorchester County watermen and processors to get this resource back. There is no evidence to show the larger legal size in July is justified. What is the resource issue that makes this necessary? Can a notable uptick in harvests anywhere else benefit from this restriction? None is evident in this data. It can be proven it is harmful to the Dorchester watermen and processing industry. Is this an economic issue? If so, for whom? The Packing house value market does not address this issue in depth. Processors often utilize females, #2 s and even #1 s, and at times as market conditions for watermen s and retail sellers require a market correction. Processors turn prime crabs into prime Maryland crabmeat. Live crabs only keep several days landside after they are caught. 2. Female limits. Female limits should be increased. Data shows in three of the four recent years harvest has not been allowed to keep up with dredged survey stocks. 2. Processing Plant closures in Dorchester. Suggest a processor (even if not required by regulation) be appointed to TFAC. Processors have an extensive lead time to prepare for labor, packing and markets for Maryland crabmeat. Their input is very important to the Maryland watermen to have the best markets available. 4. DNR risk adverse management. The problem is risk adverse to whom? If you ask a crab, it would be to not end up in a cook pot. If you ask a waterman, he would want to catch all he can, without letting someone else get the crab after he lets it go. If you ask a fisheries manager, he would want to meet the goals another manager had set for him to meet. 13