THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 1, 1995 TAG: 9512010218
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SCOTT HARPER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RESTON LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines
Gov. George Allen said Thursday he believes proposed new limits for catching Chesapeake Bay blue crabs are reasonable and ``appear to make good sense,'' but he was not ready to endorse them.
In some of his first remarks on the subject of declining crab stocks in the bay, Allen said he especially liked a recommendation that Virginia ban the harvesting of female crabs just days away from giving birth.
Catching such females - known as sponge crabs, because of spongy sacs of eggs on their bodies - is a mainstay of the Virginia crabbing industry, which contributes thousands of jobs and about $87 million to the state's economy.
``Why should you be taking a crab when its eggs are ready to be released?'' Allen said after a meeting of the Chesapeake Bay Executive Council, a panel of regional political leaders charged with overseeing the bay's cleanup.
``That seems like something we could do to get abundance back up,'' he said.
His comments came two days after the Virginia Marine Resources Commission endorsed a four-point plan, including a freeze on commercial crabbing licenses and a sponge crab ban, in response to scientific surveys that show adult crab stocks at one of their lowest points in 40 years.
The crab dilemma played a major role at the annual council meeting, which saw the governors of Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, the mayor of Washington, and the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency gather at a hotel in northern Virginia to discuss the progress and pitfalls in restoring the bay.
While lauding successes on other environmental fronts, EPA administrator Carol Browner said the once-plentiful crab, perhaps the most famous seafood source in the bay, is ``clearly in danger.''
Maryland Gov. Parris N. Glendening, whose administration approved emergency crab regulations late this summer, challenged Virginia to follow suit as soon as possible.
``The stakes are too high not to move on this issue,'' Glendening said in remarks clearly aimed at Allen, who sat impassively through the speech. ``One thing is clear: this is not just a Maryland problem. . . . If blue crabs are going to be saved, it'll be done on our watch.''
Glendening said after the meeting that he hoped Allen would introduce complementary restrictions at the same time Maryland took action to cut short its fall harvest. He said the two had phone conversations to discuss a joint move.
When Allen responded that he was still studying the issue, Glendening said he speculated that Allen feared upsetting General Assembly election races last month.
``Obviously we had hoped they would have been much faster in taking action,'' Glendening said. ``I recognize the practical consideration, though, that he would have had to move right before the election.''
Allen repeated what his administration has said throughout the crab debate - that Virginia is unwilling to impose new regulations until all scientific data is collected, especially in light of the state passing a crab-protection package last year.
``I think we've got some reasonable suggestions,'' Allen said. ``They're based on good logic, good reason . . . but let's put them out for public comment, let's have our hearings and go from there.'' by CNB