2023 Blue Crab Commercial Effort and Recommendations Survey
Please help us improve the blue crab fishery in South Carolina by taking this short survey.
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is seeking input from commercial crabbers to regarding the blue crab fishery along our coast, and we value your input.
This survey is strictly confidential and all data collected will be used for research purposes only. The survey should take approximately five minutes to complete.
1.
How many years have you held a commercial crabbing license in South Carolina?
Less than one year
1-2 years
3-5 years
6-10 years
11-15 years
16-20 years
21+ years
Currently do not have a commercial license
Not applicable
2.
What are your primary reasons for purchasing a commercial crabbing license? Please check all that apply.
To harvest for myself and my family
To harvest for my friends or community members
Commercial crabbing is my primary source of income
To harvest and sell for extra income
Other (please specify)
3.
Would you still purchase a commercial license if the recreational license allowed you to fish up to ten traps?
Yes
No
Does not apply - I crab commercially
4.
How would you describe your commercial crabbing activity?
I crab rarely (1-10 days/year)
I crab on occasion (11-20 days/year)
I crab often (21-50 days/year)
I crab very frequently (51-150 days/year)
I crab most days (more than 150 days/year)
5.
In past year, July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023, approximately how many days did you attempt to catch blue crabs in South Carolina?
6.
In what coastal South Carolina counties did you go crabbing during the past year, July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023? Please check all that apply.
Horry County
Georgetown County
Charleston County
Colleton County
Beaufort County
Jasper County
7.
On average, about how many crab pots do you fish in a day?
1-5
6-10
11-25
26-50
51-100
101-125
126-150
151-200
201-400
8.
On average, about how many crab pots do you have in the water at one time?
1-5
6-10
11-25
26-50
51-100
101-125
126-150
151-200
201-400
401+
9.
What is the maximum number of crab pots you will have out at any one time. Do not include peeler pots?
1-5
6-10
11-25
26-50
51-100
101-125
126-150
151-200
201-400
401-600
601-800
10.
Do you fish for peeler crabs?
Yes
No
11.
On average, about how many peeler pots do you fish in a season?
1-5
6-10
11-25
26-50
51-100
101-125
126-150
151-200
201-400
None of the above
12.
How supportive would you be of a limit on the number of peeler traps?
1 - Not supportive at all
2 - Somewhat unsupportive
3 - Neither for or against
4 - Somewhat supportive
5 - Very supportive
Additional Comments or Reasoning
13.
How would you consider the number of crabs per trap you caught in the past year?
Above average
Average
Below average
14.
How satisfied are you with the current blue crab fishery in South Carolina?
Very satisfied
Satisfied
Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
15.
How do you feel the blue crab population has changed over your crabbing career?
Greatly increased
Increased
Stayed the same
Decreased
Greatly decreased
16.
How supportive would you be of a limit on the total number of commercial licenses sold?
1 - Not supportive at all
2 - Somewhat unsupportive
3 - Neither for or against
4 - Somewhat supportive
5 - Very supportive
Additional Comments or Reasoning
17.
How supportive would you be of a limit on the number of commercial traps per harvester?
1 - Not supportive at all
2 - Somewhat unsupportive
3 - Neither for or against
4 - Somewhat supportive
5 - Very supportive
Additional Comments or Reasoning
18.
How supportive would you be of seasonal protection of female crabs when the population is low?
1 - Not supportive at all
2 - Somewhat unsupportive
3 - Neither for or against
4 - Somewhat supportive
5 - Very supportive
Additional Comments or Reasoning
19.
How supportive would you be to short (two week) "all traps out" period to allow for the removal of abandoned traps?
1 - Not supportive at all
2 - Somewhat unsupportive
3 - Neither for or against
4 - Somewhat supportive
5 - Very supportive
Additional Comments or Reasoning
20.
If the state implemented a short (two weeks) 'all traps out' period to allow for the removal of abandoned traps, in which month(s) would you prefer the closure happen?
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
A Flexible Date
Not in Favor
21.
How supportive would you be of a recreational creel limit for blue crabs?
1 - Not supportive at all
2 - Somewhat unsupportive
3 - Neither for or against
4 - Somewhat supportive
5 - Very supportive
Additional Comments or Reasoning
22.
How supportive would you be of closing certain areas to crabbing if the population crashes?
1 - Not supportive at all
2 - Somewhat unsupportive
3 - Neither for or against
4 - Somewhat supportive
5 - Very supportive
Additional Comments or Reasoning
23.
How supportive would you be of the certification of peeler operations prior to purchasing a wholesale peeler license?
1 - Not supportive at all
2 - Somewhat unsupportive
3 - Neither for or against
4 - Somewhat supportive
5 - Very supportive
Additional Comments or Reasoning
24.
Would you be in favor of transferability of a commercial crabbing license under the limitations below?
Tranferability to family member
Transferability to any saltwater commercial license holder
Both
Neither
Additional Comments or Reasoning
25.
Do you have any additional suggestions for improving South Carolina’s management of blue crabs?