Sec. 08.02.03.01. Crabbing Gear

A. Lawful Gear.

(1) A person may catch crabs in the tidal waters of Maryland only with the gear authorized in this chapter.

(2) Diving Apparatus. A person may not possess or catch crabs in the tidal waters of Maryland using diving apparatus by itself, or in conjunction with any of the other methods authorized in this chapter.

(3) Gear designated to catch crabs and defined in this chapter, except for a seine, is not considered a net under the definition listed in COMAR 08.02.05.02.

B. Recreational Gear-Definitions.

(1) The gear defined in this section may be used to catch crabs for recreational purposes.

(2) "Collapsible crab trap" means a manually operated, portable device:

(a) Having a flat bottom not more than 20 inches by 15 inches, and not more than four articulated sides; and

(b) Designed so that failure to apply manually exerted tension on the closing mechanism allows the crabs to escape.

(3) "Crab net ring" means a manually operated, portable device that:

(a) Consists of:

(i) Two rings, each of a different diameter, connected by netting, where the larger of the two rings shall be less than or equal to 30 inches in diameter; or

(ii) One ring that shall be less than or equal to 30 inches in diameter, connected to netting;

(b) When baited and lowered to the bottom, lies flat on the bottom; and

(c) When pulled to the surface, forms a deep pocket out of the netting.

(4) "Crab pot" means a cube-shaped or rectangular shaped device with openings toward the inside for the entrance of crabs.

(5) "Dip net" means a mesh bag of netting or wire which is suspended from a circular, oval, or a rectangular frame attached to a handle.

(6) "Handline" means a fishing line managed primarily by hand.

(7) "Trotline" means a length of rope or line, buoyed at both ends with one or more anchors, which is baited without hooks or snares at intervals for the purpose of catching crabs.

(8) "Seine" means an encircling type of net which is not more than 50 feet long and 5 feet wide.

C. Commercial Gear.

(1) In addition to the gear listed in §B(2)-(7) of this regulation, the gear defined in this section may also be used for commercial crab harvesting.

(2) "Bank trap" means an enclosure constructed of wire mesh not more than 4 feet long and not more than 4 feet wide, with a single row of hedging not more than 75 feet long.

(3) "Barrel" means a container with a minimum capacity of 32 gallons and which holds not more than 2-1/2 U.S. standard bushels of crabs.

(4) "Channel pound" means an enclosure constructed of wire mesh not more than 8 feet long and not more than 4 feet wide, with two rows of hedging, each not longer than 100 feet long.

(5) "Crab scrape" means a scoop or other device which is dragged along the bottom for the purpose of catching crabs.

(6) "Hand scrape" means a single scoop or other device which is:

(a) Dragged along the bottom for the purpose of catching crabs; and

(b) Retrieved by hand without the aid of any mechanical device during any stage of the retrieval.