RICHMOND, Va. – The effort to allow blue crabs to be harvested during the winter in Virginia’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay may be losing steam. After more than two hours of debate, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission’s Crab Management Advisory Committee recommended changing course on Aug. 20 from an earlier move to reopen the winter dredge fishery. The industry-dominated board voted 8-5 to urge the VMRC to keep it closed until an ongoing species stock assessment is completed in March 2026.