Rhode Island Crabbers – You Can Now Catch Blue Crabs After Dark!

Since the 1930s, taking blue crabs at night in Rhode Island has been illegal. It’s unclear why the regulation first went into effect, but what is clear is that in New England, crabbing after dark is much more effective than crabbing in the daylight.

We’ve covered nighttime crabbing extensively in the magazine (Blue Crabs at Night – On The Water) and in video (Living Off the Land and Sea: Nighttime Crabbing), but until now, Rhode Islanders have not been able to enjoy the fruits borne of a night in the marsh with nothing but a flashlight, a bucket, and a dip net.

The price of the nighttime access to blue crabs is a new bag limit of 25 crabs per person. Previously, recreational crabbers in Rhode Island could take an unlimited number of blue crabs per day.

The new regulations went into effect in mid-January, but Ocean State crabbers will have to wait until May or June to take advantage.

See the full list of RI Shellfishing Regulations here. 

Happy Crabbing!

Source: https://onthewater.com/rhode-island-crabbers-you-can-now-catch-blue-crabs-after-dark

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