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Welcome to www.cterrapin.org, home of the Chesapeake Terrapin Alliance & our site that's dedicated to protecting the health of the Chesapeake Bay's Terrapins
News Update:
Crab Pot Excluders
Do you want to protect terrapins from drowing in your crab pots? Did you know that using excluders on your crab pots is required in most mid-Atlantic states?
We lose thousands of terrapins as bycatch each year in crab pots all along our coasts when they swim into a crab pot for an easy snack, or to visit a trapped female, but can't get out again.
Turtle excluders are designed to let your crabs in and keep terrapins out. Excluders also offer the handy benefit of keeping your crabs safe from large animals like turtles until you check your pots.
Would you like to know how to install excluders onto your pot?
Don't know what size your state requires?
Don't know where to get them? We can help!
Email us and we'll send you a set of crab pot excluders, zip ties and easy instructions for you or a friend. Make sure to include your address, and how many funnels you have on your crab pot(s). Thanks!
Site last updated 9.12.08 - We're currently in the process of updating this site so please make sure to hit the 'Refresh' button each time you visit to see all the new features & updates.
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Maryland's terrapins were officially protected from commercial harvesting as of July 1, 2007!
Click here to see Governor O'Malley signing the terrapin bills into law on April 24, 2007
Our many thanks to Senator Dyson, Delegate Clagett, cosponsors, their legislative staff members and to all of you who called and wrote to your representatives and secured the bills' passage!
This is a great first step. There is much exciting work ahead that's needed to truly protect our terrapins ...and it's work that will help many other important species including some of our very favorites like Maryland's blue crabs!
One great thing about striving for terrapin conservation is that it will also benefit the populations of many animals and plants in the Bay.
With some creativity we can mitigate the many other significant problems that remain such as habitat loss and degradation, and "shoreline hardening" in critical nesting areas (rip rap boulders can block or trap nesting females but other types erosion control (see the Living Shorelines program for example) allow access and may last longer).
We will be updating this web site to let you know about simple ways in which you can help terrapin conservation so please check back again soon (and hit the Refresh button when you do to see the updates)
As always, if you have any questions, please let us know. Thanks!
We encourage everyone to participate in our projects as we all move forward to help preserve our terrapin populations in the Chesapeake Bay.
Please let us know if you have any questions or need further information. Thanks!