Maryland Blue Crabs Get Crackin’

If you live in the U.S. you may know your state bird, state flower, and even your state rock, but I’d bet you don’t know your state crustacean! Chances are your state doesn’t even have a state crustacean.  But Maryland does–the blue crab!

Eating blue crabs in Maryland is a great way to dive into the local culture, but in addition to consuming these beautiful crustaceans, we must also be aware of conservation so that the species can continue to thrive for many generations to come.

Blue crabs are the iconic species of the Chesapeake Bay and crab pickin’ is a serious pastime here in Maryland.  Mounds of steaming crabs piled with Old Bay seasoning, a small wooden hammer, and a craving for crab are all you need to participate, so spread out the newspapers and get to crackin’!

Amanda and I, along with her mom, dad, brother Sam, Aunt Polly and Uncle Scott went crab pickin’ at the Bethesda Crab House in Bethesda, Maryland.  Amanda’s mom had pre-ordered two dozen medium crabs which were rushed, steaming, to our table along with corn-on-the-cob, coleslaw, and pitchers of Yuengling beer!

To pick blue crabs, you first pull off the top shell and the skirt.  Then cut the crabs in half and remove the gills.  The legs and claws are then carefully pulled from the body so that some of the meat comes off with it.  Next, the bodies and claws are cracked open to reveal the hearty lump and claw meat within.   The sweet crabmeat is then dipped into either melted butter as Amanda likes, or as I prefer, white vinegar mixed with Old Bay Seasoning.

Crab picking is not for everyone.  Most people don’t want to sit for a long afternoon or evening picking crabs for the reward of a relatively small but succulent quantity of sweet Blue Crabmeat—others revel in it!  I am one of those steadfast revelers who relishes the time spent with friends and family pickin’, dippin’, and finger-lickin’!

Amanda, a Maryland native, has been crackin’ crabs since she was a small fry.  In her elementary school, Amanda’s class observed and studied Chesapeake blue crabs for a week before her teacher boiled them up and the class had another lesson on how to eat them.  Now that’s some education everyone can use in life!

Humans are not the only ones who enjoy eating these crunchy crustaceans—eels, sharks, stingrays, rockfish, and ocean trout also depend on Blue Crabs as a major source of food.  All this crab consumption, coupled with Chesapeake Bay contamination, has historically hurt the population of our beloved blue crabs.

Monterey Bay Aquarium’s seafood watch lists Blue Crab as a “good alternative” on sustainable seafood list.  This rating suggests that the situation for Blue Crabs is not dire, but responsible consumption and active conservation should be carefully considered.

Thankfully, there is hope for Chesapeake blue crabs.  Since the 1970’s the work of conservationists began to clean up pollution throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed and in the past two years the governments of Maryland and Virginia have been working together to regulate fishing in favor of the Chesapeake Bay blue crabs.

Today Chesapeake blue crabs have reached the highest population since the early 1990’s, and between 2009 and 2010, the blue crab population in the Chesapeake Bay increased by 60%.

This crabtastic comeback is attributed largely to legislation which decreased the Chesapeake Bay female Blue Crab catch by 34%, shortened the crabbing season, prevented hibernating pregnant female crabs from being raked from the bottom, and ensured that annual crab removal never exceeds the “safe” level of 53% .  Governors from both states have pledged to continue efforts to ensure sustainability for Chesapeake Blue Crabs.

A healthy Chesapeake Bay coupled with sustainable fishing practices  is a perfect recipe for delicious blue crabs for years to come.  We love the taste of Maryland blue crabs and the messy ceremony that a crab feast entails.  Just as with any fishery, we are sure to educate ourselves as to the sustainability of the species, and steer away from any fish that are in danger of being  overfished.

Diners and fisherman alike can agree that we need to preserve the wonderful blue crab for many future generations. Showing great foresight, conservationists and government officials are speaking up for the soft spoken sea-critter–the wonderful blue crab!