The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries announced on Apr. 27 that it will hold a webinar to update the public about the development of a new benchmark Blue Crab stock assessment.
The event, which will take place via WebEx, is scheduled for Thursday, May 28 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. A listening location will also be provided at the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries Central District Office in Morehead City in accordance with state law.
The webinar aims to inform stakeholders and interested members of the public about ongoing efforts to better understand and manage North Carolina’s Blue Crab population. The division said a previous benchmark stock assessment completed in 2018 found that the Blue Crab stock was overfished and experiencing overfishing. Although an updated assessment was finished in 2023, concerns raised by both staff and external peer reviewers regarding model specifications and results have led management not to use those findings.
Division scientists reported that available data from sampling and monitoring programs show a continued decline in the Blue Crab population. In response, they have begun developing a new benchmark stock assessment designed to provide more accurate information about population dynamics and overall status.
During the webinar, division scientists plan to describe how they assess fishery-dependent data—such as commercial and recreational fishing effort, biological details like crab size and sex, landings, and discards—as well as fishery-independent data collected through scientific surveys at sea. They will also explain recent changes in methodology for selecting data used in assessments.
Members of the public are invited to attend virtually or at the designated listening site where they can provide feedback on both progress made so far and future steps for managing North Carolina’s Blue Crab resource.
