US Fish And Wildlife Service Proposes To Stop Horseshoe Crab Harvesting On Cape Romain

The US Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing a ban on horseshoe crabs in the Cap-Romain National Wildlife Refuge, largely due to the impact on the endangered waders.

The move comes after a 2020 lawsuit against the Fish and Wildlife Service and several reports from The State Media Co. that focus on the threat horseshoe crab fishing poses to wildlife in nature preserves. The 42-page draft of the service decision, released March 14, mentioned the newspaper coverage twice.

Cape Romen, covering 66,000 acres north of Charleston, was established in 1932 to protect the habitat of migratory waders and other bird species. However, for decades, the Fish and Wildlife Service has allowed fishermen to catch horseshoe crabs at sanctuaries on behalf of pharmaceutical companies using blue crab blood to detect bacterial toxins.

But eliminating arthropods as they lay eggs endangers the red knot, a critically endangered migratory shorebird that depends on horseshoe crab eggs for survival, experts say.

In October 2020, a lawsuit alleged that the Federal Service violated several federal laws by not requiring commercial horseshoe crab fishermen to obtain a special use permit from the Fish and Wildlife Service to fish in the sanctuary.

As of February 2021, The State Media Co. has released a study showing that representatives of Charles River Laboratories, the only company harvesting horseshoe crabs in South Carolina for biomedical purposes, underestimated the number of crabs susceptible to biomedical treatment. died. The company also downplayed the possible negative impact on Red Node's profitability.

A Charles River spokesman also told reporters that while he had known about the violations since at least 2014, he was unaware that the fishermen were illegally crabbing on the closed Cap-Romain beach and that poaching was also disputed. in a lawsuit. Additionally, the state said Charles River is pushing to end the use of synthetic alternatives to materials derived from horseshoe crab blood.

Charles River said Tuesday that the company has partnered with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to harvest and release horseshoe crabs annually for nearly 40 years. In response to the agency's proposal to halt horseshoe crab fishing off Cape Romen, the community said it would work with "all agencies" to ensure arthropod "conservation and protection" processes.

Incompatible

On March 14, the Fish and Wildlife Service issued a "Draft Compliance Statement" establishing a strong link between fishing and wildlife damage in refuges.

This makes it clear that horseshoe crab hunting is not compatible with the purpose of the preserve.

"We've been talking about this for years," said Katherine Wannamaker, an attorney with the Southern Center for Environmental Law, who was part of the team that argued in a 2020 lawsuit that Charles River fishermen were illegally harvesting Cap Romain crab. . . "The other party said, 'You can't show a connection.' We are now asking the Fish and Wildlife Service to take a stand on this report."

Draft service document lists many of the concerns associated with the Cape Romen horseshoe crab fishery, including damage to horseshoe crabs and their impact on federally endangered and critically endangered species in shelters.

During the spawning season, which starts in April and lasts through June, about 25,000 crabs hatch from shelters each year, and up to 3,000 crabs are released per night, according to the document. After arthropods bleed biomedically, meaning up to half of their blood is removed, 20 percent of female crabs that bleed from the Charles River in South Carolina die after being released into the ocean, according to one study.

Research has also shown that female crabs that bleed mate less frequently than those that don't bleed, and are slower and more confused when released.

"Therefore, biomedical fishing is functionally synonymous with killing," the Fish and Wildlife Service said in a document.

Fewer spawning female horseshoe crabs means fewer food sources for some of the wildlife in the preserve.

As the red knot moves north from the lower tip of South America to the Canadian Arctic, the endangered plover likes to stop at Cape Romen to stock up on horseshoe crab eggs. According to a previous report by The State Media Co., a flock of 40,000 red hens would need to eat 16 billion eggs in a single laying period.

The continuation of the horseshoe crab license will have a "significant impact" on Red Knot, according to the report.

“Destruction or degradation of nesting sites can impact the ability of birds to reach their destinations and, for individuals migrating to breeding grounds, can negatively impact nesting success and long-term population survival term,” the document states.

Cephalopod turtles, plovers, and various types of wading birds also prey on horseshoe crab eggs.

In addition to reducing food sources and harming horseshoe crabs, the Fish and Wildlife Service has identified three general problems:

▪ Shelters are short of money and staff to supervise crops.

▪ Increased human activity related to fishing has a negative impact on the survival of waders and seabirds.

▪ Climate change will exacerbate impacts on reserves and the wildlife using them.

There is no harvest this year

Horseshoe crab fishing is prohibited this season in Cap-Romain, and has been for years.

While the DPR Civil Code issues fishing permits in the state, the Fish and Wildlife Service quietly announced in August 2021 that commercial activities on the preserve, including horseshoe crabs, would require a special use permit.

Since then, according to a report, if a fisherman applies for a permit to catch horseshoe crabs off Cape Romen, the government must first assess whether the activity is compatible with protection goals and whether the state is endangering endangered species. previous report. Media Co.

In 2022, the Fish and Wildlife Service received two requests for special permits to fish in Cap-Romain. Nothing provided. According to company spokeswoman Samantha Jorgensen, DNR-licensed fishermen at the Charles River Lab will not harvest horseshoe crabs at the sanctuary in 2022.

“We will continue to work closely with all regulatory agencies to ensure our processes preserve and protect the horseshoe crab,” Jorgensen said.

Well, once the compatibility determination is complete, the service "will not issue a special permit for horseshoe crab," a Fish and Wildlife spokesperson said by email.

The service project will be publicly commented through April 11. Individuals wishing to leave comments may do so by emailing CapeRomain@fws.gov.