The Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population has increased for the second year in a row, the governors of Virginia and Maryland announced today.
"This is great news for everyone who makes their living by crabbing and for everyone who enjoys genuine Chesapeake Bay crab cakes and she-crab soup," Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said in a statement.
A winter survey conducted by Virginia and Maryland scientists estimates the population has risen to 658 million crabs, a 60 percent increase from last year and the highest since 1997.
The increase appears to be a response to conservation measures Virginia and Maryland put in place in recent years. In 2008, data showed crab numbers had plunged 70 percent since 1993.
More work remains to be done, McDonnell said. "Two years does not make a trend.... Improving the bay and the blue crab population will continue to be a priority of mine over the next four years."
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