CHESAPEAKE BEACH, Md. – It is National Oyster week and who better to celebrate with than longtime waterman and Town of Chesapeake Beach business owner, Bobby Abner of Abner’s Crab House.
Did you know that Bobby Abner owns an Oyster Aquacultural business with four oyster leases totaling approximately 100 acres in the Chesapeake Bay? Bobby grows his oysters on-site and deposits oyster shells and spat-on shells in the Bay in partnership with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. As part of this partnership, Bobby adds more oysters to the Bay than he harvests and plants 1/4 of the area leased at a minimum density of one million (1,000,000) shellfish per acre annually.
Here more from Bobby as he talks about his oyster aquacultural business in the heart of Chesapeake Beach, MD.
Over 10 acres on land approximately 100 acres on water: Bobby started crabbing at 11 years old from a pier in Randle Cliff, Calvert County, Maryland, just a mile from where his business stands today. He and his brother Tommy brought home their catch; their mother would steam the crabs, and their father would take them to Washington, DC, to sell them for $1 per dozen. During the summer of the early 1950s, the money the Abner brothers earned selling crabs bought their school clothes. Bobby went to work crabbing for $5 a day later attending the University of Maryland and taking a job working for the government as a surveyor. His passion for the water drew him back to the Chesapeake Bay. Bobby recalls at a turning point in his life asking his father, “What am I to be?” His father’s advice was straightforward, if you do what you’re really interested in, you will excel. This advice guides Bobby even today as he continues to work the water and run multiple successful businesses. Bobby officially launched his crabbing business in 1964 and opened Abner’s Crab House on Labor Day in 1966. Today, Bobby runs Abner’s Crab House, A&A Gaming, Bay Abner Marina, and Abner Seafood. Bobby initiated his business with the ownership of just over an acre of land along Fishing Creek in 1966, where Abner’s Crab House stands today, later purchasing a neighboring marina while continuing with the crabbing and restaurant businesses. Today, Bobby Abner’s enterprise occupies 10 acres of property on Fishing Creek. He harvests crabs from nearly 600 crab pots daily and owns an Oyster Aquacultural business with 4 oyster leases totaling 96.8 acres on the Chesapeake Bay.
Thank you to Bobby Abner for his continued partnership with the Town of Chesapeake Beach and his contributions to the health of the Chesapeake Bay. As a part of his partnership with the Town, Abner’s Crab House is hosting the Chesapeake Beach Oyster Cultivation Society (CBOCS) table this week to provide additional information and resources on oyster restoration efforts. Read more about CBOCS and our amazing volunteers here and visit Abner’s Crab House for more information.
