Awendaw cancels annual blue crab festival due to crab shortage

AWENDAW, S.C. (WCBD)– The blue crab population across the country has fluctuated over the past two decades, causing many places to restrict or ban crabbing.

Crabbing is a significant economic driver in Awendaw, and the town celebrates the blue crab festival yearly.

“We have been doing the blue crab festival for 31 years, and yes, sometimes we make some money, and sometimes we don’t. It all depends on the weather,” said Mayor Miariam C. Green of the town of Awendaw.

In 2024, a drop in the blue crab population resulted in nearly $30,000 worth of losses, and the town decided to cancel the event, hoping it would bring relief to the dwindling population.

“In such a conservation area as ours, we just felt that to be good stewards to the natural resources, we might not want to bring a bushel of crabs to a festival,” said Paul Brown, a council member for Awendaw.

According to the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services, the population is the lowest it has been in 50 years. Experts said the low population is due to the climate and the change in weather patterns.

“Crabs are particularly sensitive to just salinity changes and also temperature to some degree, so the salty changes these regimes received their changing in recent years may be one of the drivers that can affect their response and their migration patterns,” said Jeff Brunson, the Crustacean Manager in the SCDNR’s Office of Fisheries Management.

Mayor Miariam Green said the event is a massive part of the Awendaw community. She understands people are upset, but they’re looking for ways to bring the festival back in a way that is not so harmful to the blue crab population, and she’s reminding the public that they’ll get to enjoy the event again in the future.

“This is a big family Reunion for many of us, so the people are disappointed. It means so much to them to see their relatives, and they come home just for that,” said Mayor Green.

Officials said they hope to bring back the blue crab festival in the fall of 2025.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCBD News 2.