Media Contacts
Cat Lazaroff
Communications Director
(202)
772-3270
Christine Merker
Communications Coordinator
(202) 772-0284
Not a journalist but need help? Contact our Member Services
team:
1-800-385-9712
Sign up for our Press List
Get Defenders Headlines
Get the latest wildlife conservation news and information... right when we post it online.
For Immediate Release
Leading Conservation Groups Call on Delaware Bay Governors to Save the Imperiled Red Knot
Groups ask Governors of New Jersey & Delaware for an Emergency Closure of Horseshoe Crab Fishery
TRENTON, NJ -
Leading conservation groups joined forces to request an emergency closure of
horseshoe crab fishing along the mid-Atlantic shore. In a letter to the
Governors of Delaware and New Jersey the groups contend if the fishery opens as
scheduled on June 8th, up to 300,000 crabs could be harvested, thereby
significantly further depleting the main food source for thousands of imperiled
red knots
and jeopardizing their chances for survival.
"It's without question that
closing the horseshoe crab fishery will help stabilize the red knot population,"
stated Eric Stiles, Vice President of Conservation, New Jersey Audubon. "So far,
we have failed the bird and this step is the most important action we can take
to halt its brisk
decent toward extinction."
Each year thousands
of red knots make a heroic 10,000 mile journey from their winter home at the tip
of South America to the arctic. The first stage of their migration includes a
3,000 to 4,000 mile flight, nonstop, to the Delaware Bay shores. Once here, the
starving birds must feast on horseshoe crabs in order to restore the reserves
necessary to complete their migration.
The red knot population
visiting the Delaware Bay once numbed more than 150,000, however, biologists
have conducted surveys and estimate the current population to be around 17,653.
According to recent studies, in the last ten years, the red knot population has
declined more than 90%. According to Tim Dillingham, Executive Director of the
American Littoral Society, "If we do not take action to protect the crabs and
the birds, according to the experts they will be extinct by the year 2010. Our
States have the right and obligation to take immediate necessary action to avoid
this catastrophic and irreversible outcome."
"We know the red knot
and 5 other species of shorebirds are dependent on horseshoe crab eggs to
complete their spring migration to the arctic," stated Caroline Kennedy,
Director of Conservation Initiatives for Defenders of Wildlife. "Because the
birds must double their weight by feeding on this fat-rich food in order to
arrive in the arctic and successfully nest and raise young, it is imperative
that we protect their food source. We know the problem, and we have a way to fix
it."
The red knot, a shorebird, depends almost exclusively on the
horseshoe crab eggs to complete their migration. They require a super abundant
supply of horseshoe crabs in order to obtain the quantity of eggs needed to fuel
their journey. Scientific research documents a steady decline in the horseshoe
crab population of Delaware Bay over the past 15 years.
The crabs are caught by fishermen who use their eggs as bait for catching conch and eel. Delaware Riverkeeper Maya van Rossum states, "The decline in horseshoe crab egg availability, and therefore the decline in the red knot and other shorebird populations is undisputedly attributable to the over harvest of horseshoe crabs. We have failed to take the strong action needed in the past to stop this downward spiral. If we once again fail to take strong action today we will lose the crabs, the eggs and the birds, and all who depend upon them - including a thriving ecotourism industry."
The letter outlines four actions the organizations are urging the governors to take to halt the downward trend:
- Immediately institute a moratorium on the horseshoe crab harvest.
- Support regional efforts with surrounding states to enact a harvest moratorium and other measures to conserve this shared resource.
- Support efforts to federally list the Red Knot rufa subspecies under the Endangered Species Act.
- Continue bay-wide efforts to reduce human harassment of foraging shorebirds.
"The red knot is facing
extinction faster than any other shorebird species in the world," stated Jeff
Tittel, Sierra Club, New Jersey Chapter Director. "We will fail this species
unless an emergency closure is issued. It's simply a matter of addressing the
situation head on and saving this bird from extinction."
"At this
point, to address the collapse of the Delaware Bay ecosystem all conservation
measures must be implemented," stated Nick DiPasquale, Conservation Chair,
Delaware Audubon. "The immediate closure of the horseshoe crab fishery is the
most pressing action needed but our groups will be seeking additional remedies
as well."
"The scientific evidence
on the red knot decline confirms the significant overfishing of the horseshoe
crab," said Perry Plumart, Director of Conservation Advocacy for the American
Bird Conservancy. "Even maintaining a stable horseshoe crab population is a
death sentence for the birds that need a super abundance of horseshoe crab eggs
to survive."
The Delaware Bay is one of 4 major shorebird migration
stopovers in the world. Just a decade ago, more than 1.5 million birds
congregated on the Bay shores in a natural phenomenon known world-wide that
attracts thousands of birdwatchers annually.
"The Red Knot is sliding
toward permanent extinction," said Greg Butcher, Director of Bird Conservation
for the National Audubon Society. "We owe it to future generations to provide a
safety net for the Red Knot, which in turn will help keep intact the full web of
life on the Delaware Bay."
In summing up the dire situation, the letter
reads, "Quite simply, it is ecologically and economically reckless to allow the
continued harvest of Delaware Bay population horseshoe crabs while the Red Knot
population heads for extinction."
In an effort to off-set any economic
hardship this closure would cause the fishing community, the groups are
supportive of state and federal appropriations that would lead to the promotion
and development of alternative bait sources for their respective
catches.
Read a copy of the letter and get more information.
###
Defenders of Wildlife is a leading
nonprofit conservation organization recognized as one of the nation's most
progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat. With more than 480,000
members and supporters, Defenders of Wildlife is an effective leader on
endangered species
issues.
