Over the last year and half the NJ Marine Fisheries Administration has started a number of research and data collection programs aimed at gaining information on the recreational blue crab fishery throughout the state - information that has not been collected in more than 30 years.

In 2005, the NJ Division of Science, Research and Technology funded a Marine Fisheries Administration proposal to study and estimate the monthly fishing effort and harvest by the different gear types in the recreational blue crab fishery within Delaware Bay. The survey design was similar to that of the Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey consisting of telephone and intercept (field) interviews.

For this survey alone, there were 800 field interviews conducted from May - October throughout Delaware Bay which collected information on the number, size and sex of crabs harvested (over 4,000 individual crabs were measured) and over 2,250 telephone surveys were conducted within the 3 counties (Cape May, Cumberland and Salem) that boarder the bay which provided information on the number of trips taken by recreational crabbers. The results of the 2005 study in Delaware Bay will be finalized in early 2006. Look to the Fish and Wildlife website for updates and results.

Marine Fisheries Administration submitted a proposal for 2006 to continue sampling the recreational blue crab fishery - this time focusing on the southern coastal bays (from Cape May Point north to Little Egg Harbor) and the associated counties. If you are out enjoying a day recreational crabbing this season and are approached by a trained, professional interviewer, PLEASE take a few minutes out of your day crabbing to answer a few questions. Your time and information are very valuable and important and we would appreciate your help and cooperation.

In 2005, the NJ Marine Fisheries Administration also started a voluntary survey of the recreational blue crab pot fishery. This survey is similar to the Striped Bass Volunteer Angler survey and is used to help gain information on the number of trips taken, fishing location, number of crabs caught and kept and other miscellaneous information. Recreational crabbers who obtain a non-commercial crab pot license are asked to fill out the log after each trip with the appropriate information and then send in the forms at the end of the season to the Nacote Creek Research Station.