The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has scheduled two public hearings to discuss proposed crab regulations. The first public hearing will be held on December 9, 2009 at 6 pm at the Easton High School Cafeteria, 723 Mecklenburg Ave., Easton, MD. The second public hearing will be held on December 14, 2009 at 6 pm in Room 100, Center for Applied Learning and Technology Building, Anne Arundel Community College, 101 College Ave., Arnold, MD.

The purpose of the proposed regulations is to substantially reduce latent fishermen effort in the commercial Chesapeake Bay blue crab fishery in order to limit the harvest to the 46% target removal level. This course of action was a recommendation of the 2009 Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Advisory Report, authored by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee (CBSAC). The full text of the proposal may be found on the Maryland Register website, www.dsd.state.md.us/MDRegister/mdregister.aspx, or the Fisheries Service website, www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/regulations/proposedregulations.asp.

All interested parties are invited to attend and give their views. Sign language interpreters and other appropriate accommodations for individuals with disabilities will be provided upon request.

John R. Griffin
Secretary
Maryland Department of Natural Resources