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Listing horseshoe crabs under Endangered Species Act won’t close beaches
April 12, 2024
I appreciated Eric Burnley's thoughts on horseshoe crabs and their importance to the people of Delaware Bay. He powerfully describes the steep declines in horseshoe crabs and rightfully calls for the end of bottom trawling and a ban on horseshoe crab bait harvests.
I just wanted to offer one clarification: Listing horseshoe crabs under the Endangered Species Act will not close beaches. It might lead to stricter limits on commercial horseshoe crab harvests but would not have any effect on visitor beach access.
Recreational fishing of Delaware beaches would be significantly improved by listing horseshoe crabs. As Burnley observes, numerous species of fish feed on horseshoe crab eggs. If horseshoe crabs return to abundance, so will many species of fish, shorebirds, sea turtles and other wildlife.