Preliminary evidence from an annual survey shows that blue crab populations in the Chesapeake Bay are starting to rebound.
"Last year was a dismal episode for Chesapeake Bay blue crabs and the watermen who harvest them.
The number of spawning females dropped 53 percent from the previous year to an alarming 70 million, a level considered unsustainable for the species. For a healthy crab population, experts say the bay needs 215 million adult females.
It's not that crabs were being overfished. Instead, experts suspect a combination of environmental factors.
The good news now is that preliminary evidence from the annual blue crab winter dredge survey shows the numbers are climbing again."
Tamara Dietrich reports for the Hampton Roads Daily Press March 25, 2015.
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