MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                      1747

Whereas, As a result of the beating inflicted upon the said Samuel
Dixon on the said 7th day of April, 1968, he sustained serious, pain-
ful and permanent injuries to his head and face, and as a result there-
of, if in the future he sustains any blow or impact to the right side
of his face, such may cause the area to shatter and a severe blow-
could cause a plastic piece inserted in his face as a result of the injury
sustained to pierce his brain; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the General Assembly of Maryland, That the Governor
of Maryland be and he is hereby authorized to include in the next
appropriation for the benefit of the Department of Correctional Serv-
ices a sum of money, the amount to be determined by the Board of
Public Works, which shall be paid by the Department of Correctional
Services to Samuel Dixon in full and final compensation to him for
injuries sustained by him at the Maryland Correctional Training
Center on the 7th day of April, 1968.

Approved May 2, 1969.

No. 18
(House Joint Resolution 1)

House Joint Resolution requesting the study and cooperation of the
State of Virginia in assuring the continued supply of blue crabs
in the Chesapeake Bay area.

Whereas, The members of the General Assembly of Maryland
are vitally concerned over an alarming decrease in the supply of blue
crabs in the Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay.

This shortage has had its effects also in the waters of the Chesa-
peake Bay lying within the State of Virginia, and the General Assem-
bly of Maryland respectfully suggests to the General Assembly of
the Commonwealth of Virginia that the problem is equally serious
in both states and should receive the concerted action of legislators
and other officials in the two states.

Following a good catch of blue crabs in both states during the
years of 1966 and 1967, the catch in the early months of 1968 has
been disastrously lower. Thus, taking recent figures supplied from
the State of Virginia and applying to the first eight months of the
respective years of 1967 and 1968, the blue crab catch in Virginia
was reduced by 31%. In the State of Maryland for the same eight
month period in the years 1967 and 1968, the blue crab catch has
been reduced by 66 %.

The Chesapeake Bay blue crab has a life span of approximately
two years. Most of them hatch during early summer in the Virginia
waters and then spread throughout the Bay area, maturing at about
14 months of age. Most of the adult females return to the lower
Bay in the fall months, while the males stay scattered. The migra-
tion of the females occurs at any time after mating and most often
in the months of September, October, and November.

When the females arrive in the lower Bay, they move into the
deeper waters of the channels and either hibernate or move very
little within those areas from December through March. These are