There are more than 550 million blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay, an increase of more than a third over this time last year and one of the highest population counts of the past two decades.
A winter dredging survey found the strongest growth in the populations of adult male crabs, which more than doubled. The number of spawning females, a key barometer for future population growth, nearly doubled but remained slightly below a target population count of 215 million.
Maryland Department of Natural Resources officials, who released the survey results Tuesday, said the results bode well for local crab harvests. A relatively mild winter and favorable currents and tides helped, said Dave Blazer, the department's fisheries survey director.
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