General Assembly passes a ban on fishing for horseshoe crabs

This horseshoe crab has been given an identification tag as part of a research project to help determine why the population in Long Island Sound has fallen.

June 5, 2023 — A bill that would ban the harvest of horseshoe crabs in Connecticut has passed the Connecticut General Assembly and is awaiting the signature of Governor Ned Lamont.

The language of the bill is simple: “no person shall engage in the hand-harvesting of horseshoe crabs or the eggs of horseshoe crabs from the waters of this state.”

Horseshoe crab populations have fallen considerably in Long Island Sound. Each year these ancient creatures climb onto beaches in the state to lay eggs, which are a source of rich food for migrating shorebirds such as Semipalmated Sandpipers and endangered Red Knots.

In recent years about 20,000 a year were scooped up from beaches and used as bait for eels and whelks.

Connecticut Audubon first called for a ban in 2020, and grassroots advocates have sent almost 1,200 messages to their state representatives asking for restrictions to be enacted.

This article from 2020 contains more details.