Preservation Maryland Goes Crabbing: Sustaining Watermen Heritage in MD

The Chesapeake’s blue crabs are part of Maryland’s identity. This week, our weekly podcast, PreserveCast, talks to first-generation waterman Luke McFadden about crabbing, social media, and how Maryland can sustain its iconic watermen heritage.

Blue crabs are native to the Chesapeake Bay region, so ever since the first European colonists arrived in Maryland in the 17th century, fishermen have been harvesting crabs around the various shores — for fun and for nourishment. While there was an abundance of arable land, seafood very quickly became a part of the everyday diet of those on the Eastern Shore. Seafood was plentiful. Thus, over the decades, commercial fishing and crabbing contributed more and more to Maryland’s economy.