Sanderling Calidris alba John James Audubon

The Project Why Audubon is Involved Horseshoe crab eggs, laid by the billions on the beaches of the Delaware Bay, are the primary food source for four species of migratory shorebirds during their spring migration: red knots, sanderlings, ruddy turnstones, and semipalmated sandpipers. These birds fly, sometimes non-stop, from South America, stopping to rest and regain body weight at the Delaware Bay. Arriving emaciated, the shorebirds gorge on the tiny green horseshoe crab eggs, often doubling their body weight before continuing their migration to their Arctic breeding grounds. If the shorebirds cannot find enough food to restore their body weight, they are unable to fly all the way to their breeding grounds and turn around before reproducing. In the 1990s, demand for horseshoe crabs increased dramatically as their value as bait in the eel and conch fisheries escalated. As horseshoe crabs were killed in record numbers, the migratory shorebirds had more and more trouble finding enough eggs. Below is a brief history of Audubon's work to save the horseshoe crabs and the migratory shorebirds which depend upon them. The comments that we submitted to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission provide extensive details on Audubon's position. Brief History When the overfishing of horseshoe crabs became apparent in 1997, we went right to the source--working with those states with the highest horseshoe crab landings. New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, the states closest to the critical Delaware Bay area, reported landings of nearly 1.7 million crabs. In short order, these three states began regulating the fishery, significantly reducing their horseshoe crab harvests. For more information on individual states, we have provided State Resources. In 1998, with the regulations in effect in New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, fisherman began landing horseshoe crabs in Virginia. Historically, Virginia harvested about 23,000 crabs a year. In 1998, those landings shot up to over one million crabs. Audubon's efforts to work with Virginia were unsuccessful, and Virginia continued to undermine the conservation efforts of its mid-Atlantic neighbors. When working with Virginia failed, we turned to the interstate agency with jurisdiction over Atlantic Coast fisheries--the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. They approved a Fishery Management Plan for Horseshoe Crabs in December of 1998. The plan was completely devoid of any implementation. It took over a year before the ASMFC approved an Addendum to the plan which mandated a coastwide quota set at a 25% reduction from "Reference Period Landings," or the number of crabs each state harvested during the years of peak demand (1995-1997). Current Status While the coastwide quota was set at a very high level, it was still an important step towards achieving sustainable management. In addition to the quota, the ASMFC requested that the National Marine Fisheries Service establish a Horseshoe Crab Sanctuary in federal waters in an area off the mouth of the Delaware Bay. The ASMFC only has jurisdiction in state waters (up to three miles off the coast) and depends on the National Marine Fisheries Service, under the U.S. Department of Commerce, to take action to protect the horseshoe crab in federal waters. To date, the horseshoe crab sanctuary has not been established. The state of Virginia refused to comply with the reductions mandated in the Addendum. The ASMFC found them out-of-compliance with the Plan and requested that the U.S. Department of Commerce take action. By law, the Secretary of Commerce has the authority to close Virginia's fishery entirely, until the state complies with the Plan. Audubon is now focusing on establishing the horseshoe crab sanctuary and ensuring that Virginia complies with the Fishery Management Plan so that it does not continue to undermine the conservation efforts of the other Atlantic coast states.
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The Project

Why Audubon is Involved

Horseshoe crab eggs, laid by the billions on the beaches of the Delaware Bay, are the primary food source for four species of migratory shorebirds during their spring migration: red knots, sanderlings, ruddy turnstones, and semipalmated sandpipers. These birds fly, sometimes non-stop, from South America, stopping to rest and regain body weight at the Delaware Bay. Arriving emaciated, the shorebirds gorge on the tiny green horseshoe crab eggs, often doubling their body weight before continuing their migration to their Arctic breeding grounds.

If the shorebirds cannot find enough food to restore their body weight, they are unable to fly all the way to their breeding grounds and turn around before reproducing.

In the 1990s, demand for horseshoe crabs increased dramatically as their value as bait in the eel and conch fisheries escalated. As horseshoe crabs were killed in record numbers, the migratory shorebirds had more and more trouble finding enough eggs. Below is a brief history of Audubon's work to save the horseshoe crabs and the migratory shorebirds which depend upon them. The comments that we submitted to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission provide extensive details on Audubon's position.

Brief History

When the overfishing of horseshoe crabs became apparent in 1997, we went right to the source--working with those states with the highest horseshoe crab landings. New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, the states closest to the critical Delaware Bay area, reported landings of nearly 1.7 million crabs. In short order, these three states began regulating the fishery, significantly reducing their horseshoe crab harvests. For more information on individual states, we have provided State Resources.

In 1998, with the regulations in effect in New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, fisherman began landing horseshoe crabs in Virginia. Historically, Virginia harvested about 23,000 crabs a year. In 1998, those landings shot up to over one million crabs. Audubon's efforts to work with Virginia were unsuccessful, and Virginia continued to undermine the conservation efforts of its mid-Atlantic neighbors.

When working with Virginia failed, we turned to the interstate agency with jurisdiction over Atlantic Coast fisheries--the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. They approved a Fishery Management Plan for Horseshoe Crabs in December of 1998. The plan was completely devoid of any implementation. It took over a year before the ASMFC approved an Addendum to the plan which mandated a coastwide quota set at a 25% reduction from "Reference Period Landings," or the number of crabs each state harvested during the years of peak demand (1995-1997).

Current Status

While the coastwide quota was set at a very high level, it was still an important step towards achieving sustainable management. In addition to the quota, the ASMFC requested that the National Marine Fisheries Service establish a Horseshoe Crab Sanctuary in federal waters in an area off the mouth of the Delaware Bay. The ASMFC only has jurisdiction in state waters (up to three miles off the coast) and depends on the National Marine Fisheries Service, under the U.S. Department of Commerce, to take action to protect the horseshoe crab in federal waters. To date, the horseshoe crab sanctuary has not been established.

The state of Virginia refused to comply with the reductions mandated in the Addendum. The ASMFC found them out-of-compliance with the Plan and requested that the U.S. Department of Commerce take action. By law, the Secretary of Commerce has the authority to close Virginia's fishery entirely, until the state complies with the Plan.

Audubon is now focusing on establishing the horseshoe crab sanctuary and ensuring that Virginia complies with the Fishery Management Plan so that it does not continue to undermine the conservation efforts of the other Atlantic coast states.

Site updated: 7.24.00