I am here today to urge Virginia Governor Gilmore to protect the horseshoe crab and the migratory shorebirds, and millions Virginia business dollars that depend on horseshoe crabs.

The failure of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) to enact responsible horseshoe crab landing limits has earned the State of Virginia the nickname "Loophole State." The horseshoe crab landing levels set by the VMRC for 1999 are a whopping 26 times more than landings recorded in 1997.

The decision by the VMRC is a bad resource decision. It is also a bad business decision. Just weeks ago, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt declared that Virginia is unfairly undermining the conservation and business decisions of New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland.

When New Jersey Governor Whitman examined the facts on horseshoe crabs, she took significant action to protect them. When Delaware Governor Carper examined the facts, he took significant action. When Maryland Governor Glendening examined the facts, he also implemented strong measures to protect horseshoe crabs.

In contrast to these courageous actions, when the VMRC examined the facts, one commissioner at a recent hearing this year declared that horseshoe crab landings should be based on demand, not supply! In other words, the VMRC has taken a shoot-all-the-buffalo mentality towards horseshoe crabs.

We call on Virginia Governor Gilmore to examine the facts and what is at stake by Virginia's failure to act to protect horseshoe crabs. National Audubon a report last month entitled "Horseshoe Crabs: Serious Business, The Economic and Health Benefits of Strict Landing Limits in Virginia." The report details the tens of millions of dollars of tourism business dependent on horseshoe crabs that could be lost. The decline in migratory shorebirds dependent on the horseshoe crab is already well documented.

We urge Governor Gilmore to act to significantly limit the landings of horseshoe crabs in Virginia. We have designed several educational radio ads to inform Governor Gilmore of the conservation and economic importance of the horseshoe crabs.

We hope Governor Gilmore enjoyed his recent trip to South America to promote Virginia business. We hope he enjoyed visiting the homes of the migratory shorebirds that depend on the horseshoe crab eggs for food. We urge the Governor to protect Virginia business dependent on shorebirds migrating from South America. We urge the Governor to protect Chincoteague's South American business connection.

Governor Gilmore, we urge you to listen to the songs of the shorebirds and the sounds of the cash register. We urge you to heed the message of U.S. Interior Secretary Babbitt. We urge you to follow the example set by the Governors of New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. We urge you to restrict the landings of horseshoe crabs in Virginia to their historic levels.

Horseshoe crabs may be ugly, but they are good for migratory shorebirds and tourism business in Virginia. The failure of the VMRC is Governor Gilmore's opportunity!