Horseshoe Crab Protection Act

Aug 20

Horseshoe crab monitoring on the East End of Long Island

Horseshoe crabs have existed for more than 350 million years. We see them spawning on our East End beaches and in the waters where children play. Their eggs serve as a vital food source to migratory shorebirds and numerous fish species. Horseshoe crabs play a vital role in our marine ecosystem, but now, their populations are declining at a rapid pace.

Harvesting for bait and biomedical purposes, along with habitat loss, are having a profound impact on our local horseshoe crab population. Here on Long Island, there is a documented population decline with no end in sight. While horseshoe crabs have played an integral role in the biomedical and commercial fishery industries, it has been to their detriment. Alternatives for biomedical use of horseshoe crab blood exist and have become mainstream. If alternatives are not utilized for commercial bait, the horseshoe crab population will likely continue to decline beyond repair. What impacts might this have on the fishery industry if action isn’t taken?

In February 2024, the Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to list the Atlantic horseshoe crab as an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

In 2023, Connecticut adopted stringent regulations to help boost populations for conservation purposes. Data has shown that when one area strengthens its regulations, other areas experience an increase in harvest rates. As New York and Connection share Long Island Sound, we see how critical it is for New York to follow suit and enact a similar ban. We cannot allow this ecologically-important species to face extinction.

In June 2024, the New York State Legislature banned horseshoe crab harvesting for fishing and biomedical use. Now, the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act (S.3185A/A.10140) is headed to New York State Governor Kathy Hochul’s desk to be signed into law this fall.

Despite bipartisan support in the New York State Legislature, input from numerous reputable science organizations, thousands of letters of support from concerned New Yorkers, and even a letter from Jane Goodall, Governor Kathy Hochul vetoed the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act on December 13, 2024.

It is both disappointing and embarrassing that New York will fail to enact the same protections that have already been adopted by our coastal neighbors in New Jersey and Connecticut, and it is clear that this decision was not based on science.

Nonetheless, the Group is grateful to the hundreds of supporters across the East End who clearly understand the ecological importance of the horseshoe crab and joined us in advocating for the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act. While we are disheartened, we are not deterred. The Group will continue advocating for the environment and all of its inhabitants, and will continue to press for the highest level of environmental protection for this living fossil.