John,
Horseshoe crabs are one of the most ancient species on the planet: They’ve been here since before there were dinosaurs. But in the blink of an eye — in the past three decades — their populations have crashed. Commercial fishers chop them up for bait, and the biomedical industry drains them of their blood for medical testing (even though safer synthetic alternatives are available).
Both of these pressures are driving horseshoe crabs toward extinction. So in 2024 the Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the federal government to protect them under the Endangered Species Act.
As we wait for that process to unspool, these ancient creatures desperately need help from the states where they live.
Several states, including Connecticut and New Jersey, already have laws banning the harvest of horseshoe crabs. The bans have helped bring more abundant wildlife populations and healthier coastal ecosystems.
Now New York is poised to join the club. The state legislature recently passed the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act, a bill to ban horseshoe crab harvesting in New York. But to become law, this crucial legislation needs the governor's signature.
Horseshoe crabs support scores of other species on land, in the sea, and in the air — including shorebirds like federally protected red knots. Red knots make one of the world's longest annual migrations and eat horseshoe crab eggs to fuel their epic journeys. As horseshoe crab populations have plummeted, so have numbers of red knots.
Call on New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act and give imperiled horseshoe crabs — and red knots — a fighting chance at survival. |
