In 1916, Maryland approved crab dredging laws to limit dredging in the Bay, hoping to protect the ecosystems at the bottom of the water. In 1912, a conservation act passed in Maryland mandated that Maryland and Virginia work together to protect the crabs in their waters this act put costs on using boats and required individuals to obtain crabbing licenses before they could go crabbing. In 1880, Maryland placed restrictions on the harvesting of blue crabs. There, Preservation Maryland will oversee the stabilization and elevation of the historic Burtis House However, while overharvesting and climate change have caused numerous problems, Marylanders have worked hard to combat the dwindling crab populations.įishing scene in Chesapeake Bay ca. RELATED: As a result of the rising water levels, as part of our Historic Property Redevelopment Program, Preservation Maryland is taking on a leading role in a dynamic climate resiliency project at City Dock in Annapolis, Maryland. Rising tides can also affect coastal towns. Sea-level-rise destroys the wetlands and shores along the Chesapeake. Finally, rising sea levels also threaten the Bay. Additionally, climate change has led to more severe storms, which dump high amounts of eroded soil and polluted runoff into the Bay more soil and chemicals in the water affect oxygen levels in the water, which in turn harms the Chesapeake’s crabs, fish, and plants. Warmer water damages the eel grass, the plant where the blue crabs make their homes. Geological Survey, average stream temperatures in the Bay have increased by 1.1☏ over the last 60 years. Rising temperatures due to greenhouse emissions harm the Bay’s ecosystems. Climate change, too, has contributed to a reduction in the blue crab population. By 2000, the Chesapeake Bay’s crabs only accounted for 28% of the country’s crab harvest. In the 1980s, crabs from the Chesapeake Bay accounted for over half of crabs harvested in the United States. This activity pushed more people onto the water as a result, blue crab populations decreased. Additionally, in the 1950s, recreational crabbing became popular. The incorporation of the crab pot into the crabbing business led to a dramatic increase in harvests. This technology allowed fishermen to harvest a substantial amount of crabs in one catch. In 1943, Marylanders started using a new tool: the crab pot. Fishermen were taking too many female crabs out of the waters too fast, and there was not enough time for the crab populations to reproduce. LOC.īut with this interest in crabs came harm to the aquatic populations in the Bay.
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