Blue Crab Demise

Florida is loosing it's blue crab population from a lack of Florida Wildlife Commission direction. 

The following are letters sent to FWC Commission in Tallahassee indicating what is wrong with Florida's blue crab population. If you feel the same way I do that we need a close season; at least on female blue crabs...send me a e-mail and I'll post on web site.

Thank you, Capt Gus

FWC Commissioners:

            I’ll try one more time to convince you what Florida

and other State's management direction for blue crabs is wrong.

Evolution dictates that in marine environment it takes numbers to

make numbers. Reduce those numbers in any fish stocks and

reproduction stops. Any biologist knows this. Every marine

resource that collapsed resulted from over harvest of a

resource, that’s why governing agencies have set up strict

guidelines for close seasons. Most states have never imposed

close seasons for female blue crabs; because once they spawn

their reproductive role is over. But many female blue crabs and I

say many are carrying eggs that are concealed and not exposed

out from their abdomen. Therefore, when taking these young

pregnant females we’re taking female blue crabs that eventually

could spawn in the future.

            Now that brings us to a test close season for female blue

crabs and no sale of female blue crabs in Florida; in all waters of

            FWC researchers keep pointing in the wrong direction. One

such source of miss direction in stock reduction…derelict crab

traps. How many tons of blue crabs have been depleted by

abandon blue crab traps…no one knows, that’s just a lame brain

excuse. I’ve helped on derelict trap removal in Tampa Bay and

only found a hand full of blue crabs, plus traps rust in salt water

leaving only a steel bar, rope, and float.. Another hair brain

method for stock replenishment is to remove traps for a two

week clean up of abandon crab traps…traps will only be moved to

other waters of the State not conducting derelict trap removals

clean during those 2 week clean up periods. Another wrong

direction is measuring how long a blue crab lives. Who cares about

the life cycle of a blue crab if blue crab stock assessments are

below normal?

            In 2003, I came before FWC Commissioners and

presented a document that I prepared over a length of time

explaining blue crab problems that ended up being a with a waste

of my time. But remember this, when I first started commercially

catching blue crabs in Tampa Bay 32 years ago, blue crab

fishermen came to Tampa Bay in the winter time and docked their

boats at Ruskin to harvest the female blue crabs to take to

picking plants. Their boxes were filled with female crabs, plus

egg bearing females. Those picking plants closed and crabbers

stopped coming to Tampa Bay, because female blue crabs stopped

coming to Tampa Bay. In 2003 when I gave you that report, I

caught only (4) egg bearing female blue crabs. This year another

crabber and I caught a total of (2) egg bearing female blue

crabs. And FWC says blue crabs are “resilient”. Resilient meaning

> tending to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or

change.

          In conclusion, ask your Blue Crab Advisory Board, BCAB

what impact industry would have if Florida would impose a close

season, no sale in Florida of female blue crabs. Their answer will

explain what is happening to a resource that you claim to be

“resilient”!

Thank you,

Capt. Gus Muench

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