O'Malley to make blue crab announcement

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley will head to the Eastern Shore on Wednesday to make what his staff calls a "major announcement" on the Chesapeake Bay's rebounding crab population.

O'Malley will appear at a Grasonville restaurant.Maryland Department of Natural Resources spokesman Josh Davidsburg said he could not give more details.

Last week, the Chesapeake Bay Program issued a report card showing the health of the Chesapeake Bay has improved slightly, including improvements in the dwindling crab population. Program officials say the population is at the highest level since 1993, led by increases in adult females.

Virginia and Maryland have taken steps to cut the harvest by a third, including shortening the season and not allowing hibernating pregnant females to be raked from the bottom.

-- The Associated Press