(AP) - State officials say the Delaware Bay's stock of blue crabs is continuing a four-year growth streak.

The Delaware State News reported Tuesday that harvest, population estimates and other data from the state's 2018 blue crab season indicate the bay's stock is growing.

Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control biometrician Richard Wong says around 4 million pounds of crabs have been harvested annually in the past four years, which is a very high level historically.

Wong says the crab population is estimated at 200 million and that there has been a significant increase of young crabs.

He says the department has been collecting statistics on the crustaceans for about 40 years, and whether the data indicate a sustained long-term growth trend or a natural fluctuation remains to be seen.