Annapolis, Maryland – Two species are in jeopardy within the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.
This season, the surveys for legendary crustaceans reached one of the lowest levels ever recorded. This has driven up prices at restaurants as disposable income tightened and inflation increased costs for food and other consumer items.
Luke McFadden, 29, who has been crabbing since he was 18, mentioned that the season got off to a tough start.
“We’re doing our best to serve our customers at the lowest price possible to cover our expenses,” he remarked. “But I get it; it’s not easy.”
Cesar Gonzalez / NBC News
At a family-owned crab house, Pit Boys, Seafood Manager Charlie George indicated that customer prices range from $75 to $140 based on size. This is “much higher” than previous years due to the shortage of crabs in the bay.
According to the 2025 Blue Crab Advisory Report, the overall blue crab population has declined to approximately 238 million, down from 317 million last year. This marks the second lowest level since the annual winter dredge survey commenced in 1990.
Alison Colden, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, attributes the decline to pollution, climate change, and the encroachment of invasive blue catfish throughout the Chesapeake Bay. These catfish were introduced in the 1970s and 1980s to enhance recreational fishing.
“Since then, they’ve proliferated across nearly every river and stream in the Chesapeake Bay region,” Colden remarked. “They are voracious predators.”
Source: www.nbcnews.com
