Is there a crab shortage?

Some seafood shops along the Delmarva shore claim they're having a tough time getting enough crabs for their customers, The Associated Press reported today in The Washington Post.

The decline is being attributed to temperature changes and customer demand at this time of the year, the story said.

Brenda Davis, blue crab program manager at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, told AP that commercial crabbers are reporting crabbing is sluggish in the upper bay, but crabs are being caught down the bay.

"The season is starting slow," she said.

We haven't heard of any shortages in the Baltimore area. But if you're planning on having crabs for Fourth of July, you might want to reserve your order early, just in case.

Photo courtesy of Conrad's Crabs