Blue crabs. Courtesy Chesapeake Bay Program Brenda Davis, a 28-year state employee, served as the crab program manager for the Maryland DNR. Earlier this week she was let go. According to the Bay Journal, this comes after a group of Dorchester County watermen met with Governor Hogan about a regulation setting the minimum size limits for male crabs. The watermen argue that this regulation hurts their livelihood while scientists argue it is needed to ensure a sustainable harvest. Davis told the Bay Journal: "It was a department decision. I just got to be the person to say it."

Minimum Size Limits

The regulation up for debate has been in place since 2001. For male hard crabs in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries, the minimum size limit from April 1 to July 14 is five inches. From July 15 to December 15, it increases to 5¼ inches. Scientists argue that the slight increase gives male crabs more time to molt and grow, and increases their chancing of mating with female crabs. Dorchester County watermen argue that this regulation has been devastating to them because "smaller crabs are the only ones running in their area that time of year." For more on this debate, read the full article at bayjournal.com. For more on blue crab regulations in Maryland, click to eregulations.com.