A coalition of conservation groups are trying to pressure pharmaceutical companies worldwide to stop using horseshoe crab blood for medical testing and switch to synthetic alternatives instead.
Horseshoe crabs are harvested for use in bait, but they’re also collected for their blood, which is prized in the pharmaceutical industry for its clotting properties when exposed to bacterial toxins in biomedical testing. The demand has created a lucrative market, with harvesters bleeding crabs and selling the fluid for up to USD 60,000 (EUR 55,500) per gallon.
The Center for Biological Diversity, a Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A.-based wildlife conservation nonprofit, estimates that about 1.1 million crabs are bled alive every year; up to 30 percent of the animals do not survive the bleeding.
Concerned over the crabs’ population and its impact on other species, such as shorebirds that prey on the crabs, conservation groups have pushed for the industry to adopt synthetic alternatives.
“The plummeting horseshoe crab population threatens the delicate balance of our coastal ecosystems,” Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition Co-Founder Larry Niles said in a statement. “Shorebirds like the red knot and other marine species rely on these ancient creatures for their protein-rich eggs. Switching to synthetic alternatives for biomedical testing is a simple, effective way to protect horseshoe crabs without compromising public health.”
Now, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition, and Revive & Restore have released ...
