Committee recommends winter crab dredging to wait on assessment

New Jersey committee recommends hitting pause on winter crab dredging in Delaware Bay

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Shellfisheries Advisory Committee has recommended delaying winter crab dredging in the Delaware Bay pending further stock assessment.

The committee voted unanimously to recommend the delay at its meeting on Tuesday, citing concerns about the health of the crab population in the bay.

The committee’s recommendation will now go to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for final approval.

If approved by the DEP, the delay would mean that winter crab dredging in the Delaware Bay would not begin until after the completion of a stock assessment, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The committee’s recommendation comes after a number of years of declining crab landings in the Delaware Bay.

In 2012, commercial crabbers in the bay landed over 1 million pounds of crabs.

In 2017, that number had dropped to just over 500,000 pounds.

The decline in crab landings has led to concerns about the health of the crab population in the bay.

A number of factors are believed to be contributing to the decline, including overfishing, habitat loss, and pollution.

The committee’s recommendation to delay winter crab dredging is seen as a step towards addressing these concerns and helping to protect the crab population in the Delaware Bay.