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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.

<strong>Please help us improve the blue crab fishery in South Carolina by taking this short survey.&nbsp;</strong><br><br>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.<br><br>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.

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* 1. How many years have you held a commercial crabbing license in South Carolina?

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* 2. What are your primary reasons for purchasing a commercial crabbing license? Please check all that apply.

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* 3. Would you still purchase a commercial license if the recreational license allowed you to fish up to ten traps?

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* 4. How would you describe your commercial crabbing activity?

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* 5. In past year, July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023, approximately how many days did you attempt to catch blue crabs in South Carolina?

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* 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.

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* 7. On average, about how many crab pots do you fish in a day?

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* 8. On average, about how many crab pots do you have in the water at one time?

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* 9. What is the maximum number of crab pots you will have out at any one time. Do not include peeler pots?

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* 10. Do you fish for peeler crabs?

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* 11. On average, about how many peeler pots do you fish in a season?

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* 12. How supportive would you be of a limit on the number of peeler traps?

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* 13. How would you consider the number of crabs per trap you caught in the past year?

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* 14. How satisfied are you with the current blue crab fishery in South Carolina?

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* 15. How do you feel the blue crab population has changed over your crabbing career?

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* 16. How supportive would you be of a limit on the total number of commercial licenses sold?

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* 17. How supportive would you be of a limit on the number of commercial traps per harvester?

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* 18. How supportive would you be of seasonal protection of female crabs when the population is low?

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* 19. How supportive would you be to short (two week) "all traps out" period to allow for the removal of abandoned traps?

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* 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?

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* 21. How supportive would you be of a recreational creel limit for blue crabs?

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* 22. How supportive would you be of closing certain areas to crabbing if the population crashes?

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* 23. How supportive would you be of the certification of peeler operations prior to purchasing a wholesale peeler license?

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* 24. Would you be in favor of transferability of a commercial crabbing license under the limitations below?

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* 25. Do you have any additional suggestions for improving South Carolina’s management of blue crabs?

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