Joseph P. Gresko

SeafoodSource and Melissa in the Morning at WICC 600AM have both done stories or interviews on New York's recent passage of phasing out horseshoe crab harvesting. New York officials point to Connecticut's law that bans horseshoe crab bait harvesting and other states in the region for their work on the subject.

Click HERE to listen to the interview on Melissa in the Morning (the first 1:33 of the interview).

Here is the LINK to the SeafoodSource article or read the article below. 

 

New York Governor Signs Bill to Phase Out Horseshoe Crab Harvesting 

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed legislation to phase out the harvesting of horseshoe crabs for both bait and biomedical work, with the practice completely banned in the state starting in 2029.

 

“Hope has arrived. Finally, New York, like Connecticut, is drawing a line in the sand to stop the seasonal killing of horseshoe crabs,” Friends of Animals President Priscilla Feral said in a release. “New York’s quota for chopping up horseshoe crabs only to bait eel and whelk pots is a staggering 150,000 horseshoe crabs. The success of this legislation ends this wasteful carnage and gives horseshoe crabs a fighting chance to recover from decades of exploitation.” 

 

Horseshoe crabs are highly valued in the biomedical testing industry due to their blood, which clots when exposed to bacterial toxins. Conservation groups have pushed the industry to move to synthetic alternatives instead of bleeding the crabs, but there is still strong demand.

 

A recent study by Norwalk, Connecticut, U.S.A.-based The Maritime Aquarium reported a “troubling decline” in the Long Island Sound horseshoe crab population, listing overharvest, bycatch, habitat degradation, climate change, and insufficient management as key threats to the animals.

Federal action in the U.S. on protecting horseshoe crabs has been limited, leaving state governments to take the lead.

 

In 2008, New Jersey banned horseshoe crab harvesting. Connecticut banned the bait harvest of horseshoe crabs in 2023, and farther south in Delaware Bay, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Council (ASMFC) has long banned the harvest of female crabs to protect their eggs, which are a critical source of food for endangered shorebirds.

 

“The momentum building at both state and federal levels to protect this keystone species is encouraging,” Connecticut Deputy House Speaker Joe Gresko said in a statement. “This living fossil has assisted us with vaccine purity; now, we have to return the favor with preservation.”

 

The New York state legislature had pushed for a while to join the growing movement to secure horseshoe crab protections, passing a version of the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act, legislation that would gradually phase out commercial horseshoe crab harvesting for both bait and biomedical purposes. However, Hochul vetoed the bill in January 2025, instead directing state regulators to consider protective measures.

 

“This bill could have unintended consequences on the management of other species, such as whelk and eel, and could harm the commercial fishing industry,” Hochul said in announcing her veto. “I am directing [the Department of Environmental Conservation] to evaluate and implement further administrative measures to protect this species pursuant to its broad authority to protect and regulate the State’s marine resources.”

 

Commercial fishers opposed the legislation, arguing that there were signs that the population is improving and that it would deprive them of a key bait source. The DEC told Newsday that in contrast to Long Island Sound, the South Shore region – where roughly 60 percent of horseshoe crabs are harvested in the state – “shows an increasing trend in spawning-age adults.” Commercial fishing groups have pointed to those claims to suggest the push to end the harvest was not based on science.

 

"Why bother with fisheries-based science and management limits when a fear campaign filled with falsehoods that convinces the public the species is in danger of extinction can rule the day?" Long Island Commercial Fishing Association Executive Director Bonnie Brady said in a statement to Newsday.

 

Undeterred by Hochul’s veto, state legislators approved the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act once again in June 2025. On 19 December, she signed it into law.

 

“Horseshoe crabs have survived mass extinctions and dramatic changes to our planet, but they are now struggling to survive the impacts of human activity,” New York Assemblymember Deborah Glick said in a release. “Overharvesting for bait and biomedical use has pushed this ancient species into decline, with ripple effects being felt throughout coastal ecosystems. By signing this legislation into law, New York is taking decisive action to protect a living fossil and the many species that depend on it. This could not have been accomplished without the steadfast support and passion from advocates for environmental conservation across the state.”