Proposed MD Crabbing Regs for 2007

[Neighbor Dave]

I got this from the a Maryland Register (Link Below). DNR is trying to clarify the crabbing regs regarding the catch limits.
But reading one of the changes (Section A-2) I read it this way.
If I am on my licensed boat and have my individual crabbing license (that I get when I license my boat) AND I have another warm body on the boat WITHOUT a license I can keep 2 bushel.
As I understand the regs for 2006 I would need a 2 people on my licensed boat with a crabbing license to keep 2 bushel.
There is a public meeting Friday, January 19, 2007, 6:00 pm at the Tawes State Office Building for public comments. I may need to attand this one.
ND
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http://www.dsd.state.md.us/mdregister/3326/main_register.htm
.10 Recreational Crabbing Catch and Possession Limits—Chesapeake Bay and its Tidal Tributaries.
A. A daily catch limit of a maximum of 2 bushels of hard crabs, and 2 dozen peelers or soft crabs or a combination of 2 dozen peelers and soft crabs, may be caught and possessed if:
(1) Two or more individuals licensed to catch crabs for recreational purposes are on a boat, regardless of whether the boat is licensed by the Department as a recreational crabbing boat or under Natural Resources Article, §4-745(d)(2), Annotated Code of Maryland; or
(2) Two or more individuals are on a boat and one individual is licensed to catch crabs for recreational purposes and in addition the boat is licensed by the Department as a recreational crabbing boat or under Natural Resources Article, §4-745(d)(2), Annotated Code of Maryland.
B. A daily catch limit of a maximum of 1 bushel of hard crabs, and 2 dozen peelers or soft crabs or a combination of 2 dozen peelers and soft crabs, may be caught and possessed if:
(1) An individual on shore is licensed to catch crabs for recreational purposes;
(2) An individual is licensed to catch crabs for recreational purposes with either an individual crab license or is on board a boat licensed by the Department as a recreational crabbing boat or under Natural Resources Article, §4-745(d)(2), Annotated Code of Maryland; or
(3) There is no individual licensed to catch crabs for recreational purposes aboard a boat licensed by the Department as a recreational crabbing boat or under Natural Resources Article, §4-745(d)(2), Annotated Code of Maryland.
C. A daily catch limit of a maximum of 2 dozen hard crabs, and 1 dozen peelers or soft crabs or a combination of 1 dozen peelers and soft crabs, may be caught and possessed if:
(1) An individual is not licensed to catch crabs for recreational purposes; or
(2) A seine is used, regardless of the number of licensed or unlicensed individuals.
D. If there is no individual licensed to catch crabs for recreational purposes aboard a boat not licensed by the Department as a recreational crabbing boat or under Natural Resources Article, §4-745(d)(2), Annotated Code of Maryland:
(1) Each individual is allowed a daily catch limit of 2 dozen hard crabs with a maximum of 4 dozen per boat; and
(2) The maximum number of peelers and soft crabs per boat is 1 dozen peelers or soft crabs or a combination of 1 dozen peelers and soft crabs per day.

[mikie]

Looks the same as last year to me. Item (2) states two people in the boat - one of them has a license and the boat is licensed = 2 bushels.

[GMCHUGH]

if the rec crabber has a license and the boat also has a license you can take two bushel of crabs.

[C-Hawk18]

Dave,

If you look at the "Statement of Purpose" in the link you posted you will see the wording change and reason behind it.

In Regulation .10, the language describing recreational catch limits is clarified and a discrepancy in catch limits is corrected. Currently, unlicensed recreational crabbers on an unlicensed vessel may catch 4 dozen hard crabs, but crabbers may only catch 2 dozen from land. There is no practical reason that an unlicensed crabber on an unlicensed boat should be able to catch more than an unlicensed crabber on land. The catch limit on an unlicensed vessel will be lowered to 2 dozen for an unlicensed person with a maximum of 4 dozen per boat, so that it matches the catch limit from land for an unlicensed individual.

[Water_boy]

One thing for sure hasn't changed, the wording is still very confusing.

(2) Two or more individuals are on a boat and one individual is licensed to catch crabs for recreational purposes and in addition the boat is licensed by the Department as a recreational crabbing boat or under Natural Resources Article, §4-745(d)(

The way I interpret this (only because I understand their twisted logic) there are two licensed individuals in the boat so they can take two bushels.

Please let us know if you get clairification at the meeting on the 19th.

[rj]

Dave
I am in agreement with you , the proposed new regs do not require that both persons in a recreational crab boat be licensed. just that the 2nd person be present in a boat that is licensed and 1 individual with a license is on board ,,crabbing boat licenses are also issued with a complimentary individual crabbing license,,if you are crabbing from your licensed boat and have your individual license also ,all you would need is 1 other person (not licensed) in order to keep 2 bu..i'm sur that this will be subject to change as the hearings progress

the new regulations have been completly reworded as compared to the old regulations,,most of catch limits ,,however with a few exceptions ,,are about the same


old regulations
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A. The daily catch and possession limit for an individual licensed to catch crabs for recreational purposes in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries is:
(1) 1 bushel of hard crabs; and
(2) 2 dozen peelers or soft crabs or a combination of 2 dozen peelers and soft crabs.
B. The daily catch and possession limit in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries for a boat licensed by the Department as a recreational crabbing boat or under Natural Resources Article, §4-745(d)(2), Annotated Code of Maryland, is as follows:
(1) If no individual licensed to catch crabs for recreational purposes is on the boat, the daily catch and possession limit is:
(a) 1 bushel of hard crabs per boat; and
(b) 2 dozen peelers or soft crabs per boat or a combination of 2 dozen peelers and soft crabs per boat;
(2) If only one individual licensed to catch crabs for recreational purposes is on the boat, the daily catch and possession limit is:
(a) 1 bushel of hard crabs per boat; and
(b) 2 dozen peelers or soft crabs per boat or a combination of 2 dozen peelers and soft crabs per boat;
(3) If two or more individuals licensed to catch crabs for recreational purposes are on the boat, the daily catch and possession limit is:
(a) 2 bushels of hard crabs per boat; and
(b) 2 dozen peelers or soft crabs per boat or a combination of 2 dozen peelers and soft crabs per boat.

[Water_boy]

RJ and Dave, I do see your point, I just don't know why they would have worded it that way.

[Antman40]

Dave, from the way I read it you hit the nail on the head!

Proposed NEW REG...
"Two or more individuals are on a boat and one individual is licensed to catch crabs for recreational purposes and in addition the boat is licensed by the Department as a recreational crabbing boat or under Natural Resources Article, §4-745(d)(2), Annotated Code of Maryland. "

RJ was right as well but showed us the difference between the old and new(proposed)....

OLD REG...
"(2) If only one individual licensed to catch crabs for recreational purposes is on the boat, the daily catch and possession limit is:
(a) 1 bushel of hard crabs per boat;"

My question is will they "catch" this before the ink dries? Or, given they want this change, what is the reasoning behind the proposed new limits?

Tony

[Neighbor Dave]

The reason behind the change is to clarify the non-licensed catch as C-Hawk18 stated. But in attempting to do so, they changed the wording of most of the regs. I do beleive their intention was to only put in line the unlicensed catch from a boat vs shore, not to change any of the licensed catch limits.

Here's the link to the announcement:
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/notices/2007/010307crabhearing.html

ND

[done workin]

As much as I hate to say it, the way I read the proposed wording they have clarified the wording. AT least now they say you can catch XX number of crabs if the following conditions exist vefore it was confusing as hell and you really had to sort through.


Although, if I remember to send it in, my email comment to them for the future would be to...............

AND I SAY IT AGAIN!!!

REQUIRE EVERYONE TO BUY A LICENSE!!! and you will be allowed 1 BUSHEL per person up to a MAXIMUM of 2 BUSHEL per boat and you can use any combination of traps MAXIMUM 30 AND A MAXIMUM of 1200' of baited trotline per person MAXIMUM 2400' per boat.

They could sum the regs up in one pargaraph and everyone would understand it.

Crabs are the only species in this F----G state that has the option (To my knowledge) for a license and different bag limits depending on whether or not you buy a license. IT'S STUPID

Hunting, must buy license, Non-Tidal fishing, must buy a license, Tidal fishing, must buy a license, freshwater trout, must buy trout stamp, ducks, must buy stamp, ETC,ETC,ETC,ETC,

Would someone please tell me why we have to complicate crabbing so much??????

Please???

Chris