Advisory committee tables proposal to move dark‑sponge rule from June 15 to June 1 pending more data

The Marine Resources Commission’s CMAQ advisory committee debated whether to change the start date of the state’s "dark sponge" rule for blue crabs, but members ultimately agreed to pause final action pending further staff analysis.

Speaker 8 reopened a May agenda item and presented juvenile trawl survey data from VIMS showing that brown and black sponge-bearing females are largely concentrated in the main stem, with tributaries showing fewer sponge-bearing crabs. Based on those survey results, staff proposed ending the dark‑sponge law when sanctuaries close, or alternatively setting a June 1 start date instead of the current June 15.

Committee members split on the conservation value and enforceability of a June 1 date. Speaker 5 and others noted most crab mortality associated with handling and holding occurs in July and August and said moving the date to June 1 likely would not materially reduce overall mortality. Speaker 2 and commercial harvesters raised enforcement and practice concerns about the regulation’s requirement to "call crabs immediately," arguing that the word "immediately" has been interpreted stringently and can be impractical for operators working multiple lines or away from a dock.

Speaker 3 moved to change the dark‑sponge rule from June 15 to June 1 and Speaker 6 seconded; a voice "aye" was recorded when the chair called for favor. After additional discussion and public comment urging staff input, Speaker 3 offered a substitute motion to table the date change and hold a CMAQ meeting within the regulatory timeline so staff could reanalyze data and prepare the item for commission consideration. Committee members agreed to the substitute motion and requested staff return with targeted analysis on sanctuary depth, spatial distribution of egg‑bearing females, and regulatory timing.

Public commenters and several advisory members urged careful geographic targeting rather than a blanket statewide date change. One recreational crabber said he maintains turtle excluders and asked for broader representation of recreational fishers in the advisory process. Staff cautioned that the peer review and final stock assessment schedule will limit how soon the commission can adopt regulatory changes and noted the regulatory process requires additional lead time before effective season dates.

The committee did not adopt a permanent date change; instead it asked staff to provide more detailed, spatially explicit analysis and to revisit the proposal at a future CMAQ meeting timed to allow any commission action to fit regulatory deadlines.