Save horseshoe crabs from commercial killing

 

            JOIN WITH OTHERS AND SPEAK OUT! 

           THIS MATTERS TO AN IMPERILED ECO-SYSTEM!

Hundreds of thousands of ancient horseshoe crabs are captured in Massachusetts waters each year. Once captured these living fossils are killed and used as bait to trap and kill other animals, or they’re drained of their blood for use in the biomedical industry. Their continued killing has decimated horseshoe crab populations, causing ripple effects throughout the coastal ecosystem. Horseshoe crabs support other imperiled species — including federally protected red knots, birds who rely on horseshoe crab eggs to fuel their epic migration from South America to the Arctic each spring. As horseshoe crab populations have plummeted, so have red knot numbers.  None of this harm needs to happen. Synthetic alternatives to horseshoe crab blood are widely available for biomedical use, and there are sustainable alternatives to using horseshoe crabs as bait. States like Connecticut and New York have recognized the importance of transitioning away from killing horseshoe crabs, enacting laws that phase out harvesting. Massachusetts should join them.  You can help: Tell your state representative to support legislation that will gradually eliminate the capture and killing of horseshoe crabs, steering the species toward recovery.  Take Action

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