The horseshoe crab issue is one with national -- even international -- significance. The international aspect derives from the fact that horseshoe crab eggs in the Delaware Bay area are the primary food source for migratory shorebirds during their spring migration. Heading for their Arctic breeding grounds, these shorebirds come from as far away as Tierra del Fuego, the tip of South America. Up to 80% of the hemispheric population of red knots, and up to 30% of the hemispheric populations of other shorebirds, descend on Delaware Bay to gorge themselves on horseshoe crab eggs. The international nature of the issue is also evident in the fact that the horseshoe crabs' biomedical values benefit people around the world.

The issue has national importance, apart from the biomedical values to Americans, because horseshoe crabs are found along the entire Atlantic Coast, from Maine to Florida. While some states have taken strong action to protect the horseshoe crabs and the numerous species that rely upon them, others have not. For instance, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey all implemented in 1998 strong regulations protecting horseshoe crabs. This led to increased landings in other states with weaker regulations. Landings started occurring in Pennsylvania, but that state government has now banned landings of horseshoe crabs in their state. Virginia is the most notable loophole state, as landings in the state increased 2600% between 1997 and 1998. Audubon has been working to strengthen Virginia's regulations, but as soon as one hole in the coast is plugged, another will spring up elsewhere. The piecemeal, state-by-state approach is fine for the short-term, but uniform coastwide regulations are necessary.

That's where the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) comes in. That body regulates fisheries on the Atlantic Coast. In early 1998, under significant pressure from the conservation community, the ASMFC developed a Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for horseshoe crabs on the Atlantic coast. The initial draft plan called for inadequate protections for horseshoe crabs. Unfortunately, the final version of the plan that passed in October 1998 was even weaker.

Several Atlantic states will be holding public hearings on the Horseshoe Crab Fishery Management Plan in January. These public hearings will directly influence the implementation of a coastwide landing quota. A strong turnout from the conservation community is essential. Please contact Liz Pomper at epomper@audubon.org if you are interested in attending the hearing in your state.

Here is some information about what happened at the ASMFC's 1999 Annual Meeting.

This article -- States Commit to Regional Fishery Management Plan for Horseshoe -- gives some of the background of the beginning of the development of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's Horseshoe Crab Fishery Management Plan.

Initially, horseshoe crabs and american eels were going to be under the same ASMFC plan. This article, American Eel & Horseshoe Crab to be Addressed in Two Separate Plans, is from the ASMFC's newsletter, November 1997.

This is the list of actions that the National Audubon Society and the American Bird Conservancy requested that the ASMFC take to protect horseshoe crabs.

This update from virtualbirder.com, The Horseshoe Crabs of Delaware Bay -- Update: Summer 1998 describes the status of the ASMFC's plan a few months before it was passed. It also includes a link to the draft FMP released in August 1998

Here is a National Audubon action alert from August 24, 1998, covering both Virginia and the ASMFC: Virginia and ASMFC horseshoe crab alert

A week before the ASMFC plan was passed, the World Wildlife Fund issued a press release calling for the FMP to be strengthened.