Hosreshore Crabs and Port Mahon Rd.
Dovekie7@aol.com
Thu, 13 May 1999 00:00:08 EDT
In response to Peter Vankevich;
The harvesting of Horseshoe crabs is a disturbing situation, Peter and just
today I was reading a piece on this situation. I copied a portion of it and
it is taken off the Cape May birding page.
I am sorry, I do not know who the author is. I agree with you that it is
frustrating to see abuse of our lands and natural resources. Hopefully, the
state of Delaware will follow suit as will Maryland and place restrictions on
harvesting Horseshoe Crabs as New Jersey has.
HORSESHOE CRAB RESEARCH
The Delaware Bay hosts hundreds of thousands of migrating shorebirds each
spring, and these birds rely on Horseshoe Crab eggs to fuel the final leg of
their spring migration from New Jersey to the high Arctic. For the third
year, CMBO/NJAS has supported Dr. Mark Botton of Fordham University and Dr.
Robert Loveland of Rutgers University in their ongoing surveys of Horseshoe
Crabs along the lower Delaware Bay. This work involves collecting samples of
Horseshoe Crab eggs along the beaches, and aims to use the egg density counts
to estimate trends in the population of adult Horseshoe Crabs. Botton and
Loveland are the only researchers studying the crabs along the bay, and their
work provides the only data on changes in the egg density over time.
CMBO has a long history of working on the shorebird/Horseshoe Crab
phenomenon. While working with other conservation groups from around the
country, we were able to work toward notable closures in the Horseshoe Crab
harvest: All Delaware Bay beaches are closed to the harvest in New Jersey,
ocean-going trawlers cannot take Horseshoe Crabs from New Jersey waters and
cannot land Horseshoe Crabs at New Jersey docks, and the number of harvesters
eligible to collect Horseshoe Crabs was reduced. While significant, these
changes are effective only in New Jersey. Other states still allow a nearly
unrestricted take or unrestricted landings, and this works to encourage the
ocean trawlers to continue their massive take. Clearly this is one issue that
straddles state borders, and the effects on the shorebirds make it an
international issue.
Good birding, and better Horseshoe observing in the future
Abbie Banks
Maryland
-