Fishers always claim that there needs to be more research. However, when science lacks research or data they must take a conservative position to prevent damage.

It is fact that the horseshoe crab population has declined from years of overfishing and it is also a fact that Red Knots feed on the eggs before completing their daunting migration to the Arctic. The fishers are right that there could be other factors like environmental degradation or even climate change. But the issue must be handled holistically and not narrowly.

Fishers have taken some steps to mitigate the use of too many horseshoe crabs. The pot and trap fisheries may use horseshoe crabs as bait when targeting certain species. Some fishing areas require that bait bags be used which allow the bait to be used for a longer period of time instead of having the bait sit naked with in the pot. The image above illustrates bait bags and the first two images illustrate what a horseshoe crab looks like without a bag versus in a bag. A bait bag allows the fisher to use the horseshoe crab for a longer period so scavengers and the trapped targeted species do not damage the bait too much. From Newsday, NY:

The red knot, about the size of a dove, flies from the southernmost tip of South America in the spring to the Delaware Bay, where they feast on horseshoe crab eggs laid on the sand. They put on weight before flying on to the Arctic.

DEP officials and environmental groups say overfishing of the crabs means there’s not enough of the fatty eggs for the birds to eat, and since they don’t gain enough weight for their northward journey, they’re dying off.

DEP officials say the birds could go extinct in five years if nothing is done.

The fishermen contend that not enough research has been done on the birds and that other reasons could be to blame for the birds’ decline, such as problems at their traditional wintering grounds in South America.

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