2023 Blue Crab Commercial Effort and Recommendations Survey

Question Title

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. </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.

Question Title

* 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

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* 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)

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

Yes

Does not apply - I crab commercially

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* 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)

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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.

Horry County

Georgetown County

Charleston County

Colleton County

Beaufort County

Jasper County

Question Title

* 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

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* 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+

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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?

1-5

6-10

11-25

26-50

51-100

101-125

126-150

151-200

201-400

401-600

601-800

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* 10. Do you fish for peeler crabs?

Yes

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* 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

Question Title

* 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

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

Above average

Average

Below average

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

Very satisfied

Satisfied

Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied

Dissatisfied

Very dissatisfied

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

Greatly increased

Increased

Stayed the same

Decreased

Greatly decreased

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* 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

Question Title

* 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

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* 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

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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?

1 - Not supportive at all

2 - Somewhat unsupportive

3 - Neither for or against

4 - Somewhat supportive

5 - Very supportive

Additional Comments or Reasoning

Question Title

* 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

Question Title

* 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

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* 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

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* 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

Question Title

* 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

2023 Blue Crab Commercial Effort and Recommendations Survey

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Question Title

* 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?

Question Title

* 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?