One-third of Virginia's watermen have offered to sell their licenses back to the state under a buyback program intended to ease pressure on the Chesapeake Bay crab.

The bids, however, far exceed the $6.7 million in federal disaster aid bankrolling the buyback, meaning only a fraction of the watermen who bid will likely be leaving the water.

According to figures released Friday, 665 bids totaling $30.4 million were received by a November 1 deadline. They range from a low of $500 to a high of $665,000, a bid submitted by a part-time watermen.

Over the next few weeks, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission will sort the bids with an eye on retiring the most productive watermen.

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