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• 1. [Article] The Effects of Derelict Gear on Blue Crab Production in the Chesapeake Bay

  Several factors currently threaten blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) in the Chesapeake Bay. In addition to poor water quality, degraded habitat, and shifting environmental conditions, derelict gear has recently ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Effects of Derelict Gear on Blue Crab Production in the Chesapeake Bay Author: Bilkovic, Donna M., Scheld, Andrew M., Havens, Kirk J. Several factors currently threaten blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) in the Chesapeake Bay. In addition to poor water quality, degraded habitat, and shifting environmental conditions, derelict gear has recently been recognized as a significant source of mortality for this economically and culturally significant species. From 2008 through 2014, commercial watermen in Virginia were hired during their winter off season to locate, document, and remove derelict gear as part of a larger research effort to determine the biological impacts of marine debris in the Chesapeake Bay. Data on derelict gear removal generated by this research was subsequently paired with spatially resolved catch and effort data and entered into a translog production model used to estimate the economic effects of derelict gear on commercial blue crab production. Model results indicate removal significantly improved pot production and economic profits, a finding which had been previously confounded by concurrent blue crab management action. Our research builds on previous work through explicit acknowledgment of important spatial production differences and incorporation of derelict gear removal. Title: The Effects of Derelict Gear on Blue Crab Production in the Chesapeake Bay Author: Bilkovic, Donna M., Scheld, Andrew M., Havens, Kirk J. Several factors currently threaten blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) in the Chesapeake Bay. In addition to poor water quality, degraded habitat, and shifting environmental conditions, derelict gear has recently been recognized as a significant source of mortality for this economically and culturally significant species. From 2008 through 2014, commercial watermen in Virginia were hired during their winter off season to locate, document, and remove derelict gear as part of a larger research effort to determine the biological impacts of marine debris in the Chesapeake Bay. Data on derelict gear removal generated by this research was subsequently paired with spatially resolved catch and effort data and entered into a translog production model used to estimate the economic effects of derelict gear on commercial blue crab production. Model results indicate removal significantly improved pot production and economic profits, a finding which had been previously confounded by concurrent blue crab management action. Our research builds on previous work through explicit acknowledgment of important spatial production differences and incorporation of derelict gear removal. Close