A new draft plan from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) would allow regulators to set a multi-year male-only harvest of Delaware Bay horseshoe crabs while the commission updates the computer model it uses to manage the species.
Horseshoe crabs are primarily harvested for their blood, which is used for biomedical testing by the pharmaceutical industry – although they are also used as bait.
The changes in the draft plan address problems caused by a flawed computer model which continues to recommend that regulators allow a limited harvest of female horseshoe crabs – a move that conservationists say would hurt shoredbirds like the red knot, a species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) that depends on horseshoe crab eggs. The current model suggested a harvest of 175,000 female crabs in 2025, although the commission ultimately listened to the concerns raised by conservation groups and maintained the decade-old ban on a female harvest.
“The commission made the right decision by declining to allow a bait harvest of female horseshoe crabs in Delaware Bay next year,” Earthjustice Biodiversity Defense Program Senior Attorney Ben Levitan said at the time. “This decision will give red knots and other shorebirds that utilize Delaware Bay a fighting chance at survival and recovery. But the status of red knots remains precarious, and the commission should not be considering the risky recommendations of its flawed computer model year after year.”
The commission acknowledged the issue with the model last year and said it would be following the advice of a small group of stakeholders who recommended adopting an interim solution that would only allow male horseshoe crab harvesting while ASFMC updates its ARM Framework.
“The draft addendum considers allowing the board to set specifications for male-only harvest for multiple years,” ASMFC said in a press release. “It also considers alternative methods for managing male-only harvest limits, seasonal harvest restrictions, and harvest caps for Maryland and Virginia.”
Among the changes considered in the draft plan is extending the offseason by four months.
ASMFC will consider final action on the draft plan at its next meeting in May.
