Chesapeake Bay, Md. — The 2025 Winter Dredge Survey reports a sharp decline in Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population, dropping from 317 million last year to 238 million—a near-record low since the survey began in 1990. The drop includes decreases in both male and female crabs. Juvenile numbers remain below average for the sixth year running. According to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) and Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), a harsh winter likely contributed to high crab mortality. Despite the overall decline, the female crab population stands at 108 million—above the emergency threshold of 72.5 million but still well below the 196 million target. Maintaining female abundance is key to avoiding overfishing and sustaining reproduction, according to VMRC.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation responded with calls for Maryland to tighten protections for female crabs, for Virginia to reduce its harvest, and for federal agencies to restore habitat and enforcement funding. A full stock assessment is underway, with results expected in spring 2026. Watermen and seafood businesses across Maryland’s Mid-Shore say they’re already feeling the pinch. Catch volumes are low, and there’s concern that more regulations are imminent. Some, like J.M. Clayton Seafood in Cambridge, point to habitat loss and invasive predators like blue catfish as key stressors on crab populations. VMRC’s Crab Management Advisory Committee is scheduled to review the survey findings on May 29.
