The state of New York passed a revolutionary bill protecting horseshoe crabs, per an article in Harlem World.
Assembly Member Deborah J. Glick created legislation A.10140 to stop the harvesting of horseshoe crabs across New York in an effort to protect these ancient creatures.
Overfishing, habitat loss, and increasing water temperatures have all threatened the existence of horseshoe crabs and have led to significant decreases in the total population.
"Horseshoe crabs are a fascinating keystone species that have existed on our planet for over 400 million years. Yet their evolutionary resilience is finally being tested by the actions of humans over the last few decades," said Glick. "This measure will protect this living fossil from experiencing a total population collapse."
Thanks to the new legislation, horseshoe crabs will no longer be taken in New York for commercial or biomedical purposes. The only circumstance in which horseshoe crabs are now allowed to be removed from their habitat is if the action has been approved by the Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner and is for a clear educational or research purpose.
As a keystone species, horseshoe crabs play an essential role in the greater marine ecosystem. Animals both native and migratory rely on the horseshoe crab for food.
According to National Audubon Society policy director Erin McGrath, the Red Knot, a migratory bird that travels from South America to the Arctic Circle two times a year, depends on horseshoe crab eggs as a main source of food during its long journey. The depletion of the horseshoe crab population has led to a domino effect, impacting the survival of Red Knots and other shorebirds that rely on horseshoe crabs for food.
Conservation efforts to protect threatened species not only help restore declining populations but also help increase the region's biodiversity.
"We have been depleting the species for decades and it is time to stop," said executive director of citizens campaign for the environment Adrienne Esposito, per Harlem World. "We are incredibly excited that horseshoe crabs will finally have needed critical protections in New York State so its population can rebound."
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