The Chesapeake Bay blue crab population remains relatively stable, with the 2024 Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey estimating 317 million blue crabs. This number is a slight decrease from the 323 million crabs recorded in 2023. The annual survey is a collaborative effort between the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS).
The number of spawning-age female crabs has declined from 152 million in 2023 to 133 million in 2024, though this figure still significantly exceeds the management threshold of 72.5 million crabs. This threshold helps determine if the female crab population is being overfished. Additionally, adult male crabs have also seen a decrease, from 55 million in 2023 to 46 million in 2024.
Despite these declines, juvenile crab numbers have shown improvement. The juvenile crab population rose to 138 million in 2024, marking a notable increase after four consecutive years of below-average counts. Blue crab reproduction can be highly variable due to factors like oceanic conditions, available nursery habitats, predation, and other environmental impacts.
“An increase in juvenile recruitment is certainly welcome news, and the stock and population as a whole remains healthy,” said Maryland DNR Fishing and Boating Services Director Lynn Fegley. “However, the continued relatively low recruitment numbers warrant a closer look at our approach moving forward.”
The ongoing issue of low juvenile abundance has prompted the Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee to plan a new stock assessment for blue crabs, beginning this summer. This new assessment will provide fishery managers with a deeper understanding of the species’ ecology, how it is modeled, and whether current management reference points need revision.
Mandy Bromilow, DNR’s blue crab program manager, highlighted the necessity of reassessing the data and methods used in the 2011 stock assessment. “We haven’t had a real evaluation of the assumptions we have in the model, and there are new analytical methods that could be applied to the data,” she stated. The updated stock assessment is expected to be completed and published in March 2026.
In the interim, the Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee will review this year’s survey results and provide scientific advice for management. Based on this advice, the DNR will engage with the Blue Crab Industry Advisory Committee to discuss management strategies for 2024 that support the sustainability and health of the Chesapeake Bay blue crab population and its fisheries.
The Winter Dredge Survey, conducted since 1990, involves biologists from Maryland and Virginia using dredge equipment to capture, measure, record, and release blue crabs at 1,500 sites across the Chesapeake Bay from December through March. The annual results are then reviewed to ensure consistent management efforts across the jurisdictions. Detailed results of the survey can be found on the Maryland DNR website.