Maryland Potomac River Fisheries Commission PRFC

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4.2. Maryland

The state of Maryland recognizes both commercial and recreational fishery sectors. Currently, in the commercial fishery Maryland prescribes seven legal methods for harvesting blue crab: scrapes, dipnets, trotlines, handlines, seines, bank traps and pots http:www.dnr.state.md.usfisheriesregulationsregindex.html . However, the fishery is dominated by the hard crab pot fishery, and the trotline fishery. There are numerous temporal and spatial regulations that limit when, where and how these gear types can be used. The hard crab pot fishery is seasonal as a result of both regulation and the life history of the crab. Like the pot fishery in Maryland, the trotline fishery is also seasonal. The trotline fishery is limited principally to the tributaries in Maryland, where pot fishing is banned. The number of pots or length of trotline is regulated by the commercial license that each waterman holds. The limited crab catcher license allows for the commercial use up to 50 crab pots. The tidal fishing license and crab harvester license permit waterman to employ up to 300 crab pots. Two additional authorizations, the CB6 and CB9, increase the number of pots allowed to 600 and 900 respectively. All commercial licenses allow for use of scrapes and unlimited trotline length. As noted in the description of the Virginia fisheries, Maryland implemented a strategy to conserve female spawning stock. This has involved mid and late season bans on the harvest of female hard crabs in Maryland waters and bushel limits, which correspond to season and license type.

4.3. Potomac River Fisheries Commission PRFC

Under the Maryland and Virginia Potomac River Compact of 1958 Compact, fisheries in the Potomac River are managed by the Potomac River Fisheries Commission which is charged with the establishment and maintenance of a program to conserve and improve the fisheries resources in the river. The PRFC has established regulations limiting the number of pots that can be used in both the hard crab and peeler pot fisheries. Various size limits have also been established. See the PRFC website for a full listing of regulations http:www.prfc.state.va.usindex.htm . The Potomac River was historically closed to crabbing from 1 December to 31 March each year. However, as with other jurisdictions, the PRFC has implemented late season bans on female harvest. We note that daily harvest and effort data are available from the Potomac River. The potential of these data to serve as a commercial CPUE time series in an assessment model have yet to be fully evaluated. 27

5. Fishery‐dependent Data