From The Boat to Your Throat:

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Ruth Tam / WAMU

It’s not summer in Maryland until you’re tearing into a pile of steamed crabs crusted in Chesapeake Bay seasoning. Known for their delicate and subtly sweet flavor, blue crabs are a perennial icon of Washington region seafood culture. But, for the last few summers, they’ve been more costly than ever before. Low harvests, escalating supply costs, and intense labor shortages help explain why.

Although blue crabs are most associated with the Chesapeake Bay, they can be found in estuary habitats as far north as Nova Scotia and as far south as Argentina and Uruguay. They’ve even invaded Mediterranean waters, preying on local eels. Here in the Washington region, blue crabs are predators to decaying fish and smaller crustaceans, as well as prey to animals like blue herons and Atlantic croaker. Their role makes them integral to the bay’s ecosystem.

When water temperatures drop below 50 degrees, these crustaceans burrow deep into mud to hibernate from December to March. As they hibernate, they store fat, making them particularly delectable compared to blue crabs caught in warmer waters further south.

For years, overharvesting, pollution, habitat loss and invasive species wreaked havoc on the Chesapeake Bay’s ecosystem, and the local blue crab population suffered. Although it briefly rebounded in the 2010s, it has declined for the last three years, worrying some environmental scientists. According to the 2022 Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey, the 227 million crabs in the bay this year represent an all-time low in the survey’s 33-year history.

This reduced supply is one reason why crab prices FINISH READING HERE

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