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CNN Sunday Morning

Maryland Moves to Protect Blue Crab Population

Aired May 27, 2001 - 09:29   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LOU WATERS, CNN ANCHOR: There's a crisis in the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. The blue crab population is the lowest in decades and that's put Maryland crabbers in a pinch.

Here's CNN's Kathleen Koch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a frustrating reality.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not very good today.

KOCH: Chesapeake Bay waterman has seen their catch fall to less than half of what it was seven years ago. The blue crab population in the bay is the lowest it's been in decades. So to preserve the crab and the $150 million a year industry, Maryland will restrict crabbers to fishing only eight hours a day, between 5:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

BRIAN GROSS, MARYLAND CRABBER: Regardless of weather conditions, regardless of fog, high winds, gale force -- it could be a hurricane that comes up in here. And we have to work. If we don't work we lose out on our week's pay.

KOCH: Crabbers and many scientists say the problem isn't over fishing but thinning bay grasses that leave baby crabs easy prey to veracious Rock Fish. Watermen insist crab populations run in cycles and will rebound on their own.

MIKE SPIEGEL, MARYLAND CRABBER: Right now at this point there's no scientific evidence that the watermen are destroying the crabs stocks. Right now as a individual I feel like no regulations are necessary.

KOCH: Maryland's governor isn't moved.

GOV. PARRIS GLENDENING, MARYLAND: We take that approach -- a few years there will be no crabbing and that will be wrong. It would be wrong for them, it would be wrong for Marylanders, it would be wrong environmentally.

KOCH: Crabber Kenny Keen (ph) supports the new restrictions, even if they force watermen to fish in dangerous weather. He points out that they're being paid record amounts per bushel, and Keen says they have no alternative.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If they were to impose a moratorium that would put us all out of business -- not only me but the truck drivers, the crab houses, the bay people, the boat builders, the -- right on down the line.

KOCH (on camera): Some Maryland crabbers wish their state would follow Virginia's strategy. Rather than restricting hours, Virginia is eliminating commercial crabbing on Wednesdays this summer and limiting how much recreational crabbers can catch.

(voice-over): None of the cuts easy for those who want to preserve both the blue crab and their way of life.

Kathleen Koch for CNN, Deale, Maryland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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