New daily catch limits for male hard crabs on boats in the Chesapeake Bay take effect July 1, 2026, under an order from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
What’s Happening: Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz announced the limits, which cover recreational crabbing on vessels in the Bay and its tidal tributaries. They run from July 1, 2026, through June 2027.
The Limits:
- Unlicensed boat with 1 person: two dozen crabs.
- Unlicensed boat with 2 or more people: four dozen crabs.
- Any boat with at least one licensed individual: one bushel, or six dozen crabs if not using a bushel basket.
- Licensed boat with any number of people: one bushel, or six dozen crabs if not using a bushel basket.
What’s Important: The rules apply only to crabbing from boats. Shore crabbing in the Bay and its tidal tributaries is not affected, nor is any crabbing in the Atlantic Ocean, coastal bays, or their tributaries.
How This Affects Real People: The limits kick in at 12:01 a.m. July 1. They are based on the Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey, conducted jointly by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science to track crab population levels.
What’s Still Unknown: Limits for July through December 2027 will be set once results from the 2027 Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey are available.
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