Cautious hope for Chesapeake Bay blue crabs

Written in 1986, "Chadwick the Crab" is the first in a series of children's books written by Priscilla Cummings that detail life in the Chesapeake Bay in a charming, folksy way.

In the series, Chadwick and his friends – Orville Oyster, Matilda (a fussy, near-sighted egret), Toulouse the French Canada goose, Bernie the sea gull, and especially Esmerelda, the prettiest girl crab in the entire bay, take on adorable personalities. Chadwick pursues and achieves his dream of becoming a star at the aquarium at Baltimore's Inner Harbor, and he pursues and finally marries Esmerelda, a female blue crab.

In reality, life in the Chesapeake has been tough for crabs – and the watermen whose livelihood centers on harvesting the prized delicacy – but things are finally beginning to look up. According to the 2015 winter survey, the crab population throughout the bay is now narly double what it was in 2008, and the critical sook (female crab) population is well above the minimum threshold to sustain the species, although below the target figure of 215 million.

The watermen who harvest crabs endured great hardship, but that sacrifice – as well as the sufferings of those who crave the tasty crustacean – played a major role in restoring the bay's crab population.

What is needed now is cautious optimism as watermen begin reaching their catch limits more easily. It's not time to return to the the old ways of doing things.

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources are considering loosening some of the restrictions in response, but are taking a conservative approach.

If indeed the past eight years represent a resounding success through the combined efforts of three fishery management agencies – Virginia, Maryland and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission – then this unprecedented and sustained collaboration must not be undone by a rush to harvest the resulting bounty.

For one thing, although the past eight years have seen a trending upswing in the crab population, we don't really know yet whether this year's numbers will be sustained or will be followed by a few more bumps in the road. Trends, not individual years, are most important.

Predation, temperatures, salinity and other factors also play a role in the health of the bay's blue crab population. We can't control all of them.

But watermen can at least see light at the end of the tunnel.

And there is hope in knowing our sacrifices likely contributed to a gratifying conclusion.