December 1, 2025 — North Carolina’s blue crabs could soon be the latest species in the state to face harvest cutbacks and other limiting restrictions over concerns about the declining health of the state’s most valuable commercial fishery.
But crabbers are going to make sure the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission noisily hears their concerns before any additional steps to limit seasons and daily catch hauls are implemented.
Still, officials with the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries have said sampling programs and landing data continue to show worrisome declining trends. Agency biologist Robert Corbett Jr., who also is the department’s co-lead on blue crabs, told the commission at its Aug. 20 meeting that neighboring states are showing similar negative long-term directions with their blue crab fisheries.