[NIGHTSTRIKES]

NJ DEPARTMENT of ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
John S. Watson, Jr.
Division of Fish and Wildlife
Marine Fisheries

Notice of Rule Proposal
Division of Fish and Wildlife rules; Horseshoe crabs, N.J.A.C. 7:25-18

Public Notice
Take notice that the NJ Department of Environmental Protection is proposing new rules. A statement of the substance of the proposal follows: The Division of Fish and Wildlife is proposing an amendment to N.J.A.C. 7:25-18.16 to provide for a moratorium on the horseshoe crab commercial bait fishery for the calendar years 2006 and 2007. The purpose of the moratorium on the harvesting of horseshoe crabs is to improve conditions immediately for the threatened red knot ( Calidris canutus rufa), as well as other migratory shorebirds whose survival depends upon an abundant supply of horseshoe crab eggs in Delaware Bay. The red knot population is in jeopardy, as data and modeling show high risk of species extinction within five years. The Department has previously used emergency rulemaking to close portions of the harvest season in 1997, 2003 and 2005 in reaction to the most current data on shorebird populations.

The proposal is scheduled to be published in the New Jersey Register dated February 6, 2006. A copy of the proposal is available from: the DEP web site (www.nj.gov/dep/rules/proposals/020606a.pdf); LexisNexis Customer Service at (800) 223-1944 or www.lexisnexis.com/bookstore. Be advised that there may be a fee for obtaining a copy of the proposal from some sources.

Written comments may be submitted by April 7, 2006 to:

NJ Department of Environmental Protection
Gary J. Brower, Esq.
ATTN: DEP Docket No. 01-06-01/581
Office of Legal Affairs
PO Box 402
Trenton, New Jersey 08625

 

[flukerat]

good

 

[Belmo]

I agree with Flukerat -- I'm all for this.

 

[kenbrown]

Ok..maybe Im an idiot..but is someone out there actually keeping horshoe crabs?

 

[NIGHTSTRIKES]

Originally posted by kenbrown:
Ok..maybe Im an idiot..but is someone out there actually keeping horshoe crabs?

Big Time Eel Bait...

 

[Capt Harv]

Horseshoe crabs have a copper based blood system. There blood is actually greenish in hue. Their blood is used in medical testing labs to detect toxicities. Their other uses are for baiting traps. The environmental groups weren't happy when they got the quota cut in half last year. They vowed to shut it down completely and they got their wish. This is unfair to some of the subsistence horseshoe crab fishermen, but such is politics.

 

[eelfisher]

this is unfair to more than SOME of the crab fishermen... it's unfair to ALL the crab fishermen and everyone else that rely on using the crab for a primary, or in my case, secondary source of income.
i've been to plenty of meetings over the years and the science used to support their claim of absent crabs is elementary and unreliable.
most people dont give a rats a$$ about this moratorium issue, but to the ones it affects its a hardship and downright robbery.

 

[Fishin' Fever]

You have no idea how many people this affects. My brother is a conch fisherman and without horseshoes he might as well not even go. Not to mention that one of the companies that he was selling to, employs an entire town in Virgina. Eel fisherman have it just as bad. The last time my brother went to a meeting, they estimated a stock of 10 million horseshoes in the DB and were going to limit the crab fishermen to 200,000. What a load of crap!

Capt. Tom

 

[NIGHTSTRIKES]

What gets me is how important shore birds have become here in NJ,I mean what do Redknots and Plovers do for our economy and the livelyhood of our residents..

 

[chunking]

Is anyone going to tell me that a conch, eel or minnow in the wild chases Horseshoe crabs down for food. NO NO NO NO NO NO NO.

The sad fate for the horseshoe crab is that it's goodies are hidden between two shells and is difficult for any of these to get to. The scent draws them in but the food lasts a long time. Not only are they a great bait but they are easy to find and catch. Just wait for spring and pick them up as they crawl to the beach to spawn. Freeze and you have all the bait you could ever need.

All to often some make it sound like protecting the horseshoe is putting a mom and pop operation out of business. Truth is that horseshoe crab catching became it's own business. This state shipped many trailer loads of horseshoe crabs to northern states because they aren't abundent up there. How many horseshoe crabs can fit in a full size tracter trailer. Unknown numbers of these trailers carried their cargo up north.

Eels, conch and minnows can be caught with other baits but they just don't last as long as the horseshoe crab. Traps need to be checked and baited more often. The only real predator for the horseshoe crab is man. I know the area I fish and there just aren't as many horseshoe crabs as there were ten years ago.

Did you know that the nerve endings on a horseshoe crabs eyes are very close to a humans? Did you know that science is doing wonders for humans because of this? When labs work on horseshoe crab eyes they are released unharmed back into the water? Did you know that the blood of a horseshoe crab is also helping cure other problems we humans suffer from. BUT WE NEED BAIT.

 

[BIGGESTJACK]

IT'S ONLY FEBURARY BUT WE ARE GETTING IT SHOVED ALREADY. BEND OVER SO IT DON'T HURT AS MUCH.CUT,CUT,CUT MORE AND GET NOTHING BACK.WE ARE JUST EASY LIKE A 5 DOLLAR WHORE.

 

[Fishpicker]

Chunking great point Yes I'm sure that the conch and eels eat other things.

As you Know Commercial fishermen are very intelligent and efficient. We found a bait that was extremely efficient for us to use. The State of NJ was the ones that made us walk on the beaches to pick them up. Prior to that there was a very good CLEAN trawl fisheries.That was closed for nor apparent reason.

When it comes to other bait sources they have been tried NOTHING is as EFFICIENT as a HORSESHOE CRAB. They out catch every thing else hands down.

It's a sad sad day when science and politics are manipulated like they have been with the crabs.
THAT is a CRIME !

 

[NIGHTSTRIKES]

Originally posted by chunking:


Did you know that the nerve endings on a horseshoe crabs eyes are very close to a humans? Did you know that science is doing wonders for humans because of this? When labs work on horseshoe crab eyes they are released unharmed back into the water? Did you know that the blood of a horseshoe crab is also helping cure other problems we humans suffer from. BUT WE NEED BAIT.

You know I been hearing this all my life,then why
don't they Jump Up & Down saying this how great this research is and show some proof.Don't shove
the Rednot and other migratory shorebirds down our throats as a excuse....

 

[TWIN D'S]

Through my own agenda-driven scientific research, I have been able to link the decline of the red knot to the decline of the weakfish.

 

[kenbrown]

Wow...I can say I finally learned something from reading posts on the Bass Barn

I had no idea that anyone actually used horshoe crabs for anything. They were always a nuisance when flounder fishing in the d bay years ago....

 

[NIGHTSTRIKES]

What I hate is when they try to hump my foot when I am wading late at night weakfishing in the spring...Not very good eyesight it seems..

 

[JohnG]

Unbelievable to me that people can't see that there is need for this. This ecosystem is fragile! The comms just want to keep taking, as if it is there right to do so, even if it means every other specie that depends on the eggs for survival declines. Stop thinking about your pocket, and think aboout the bigger picture! Red Knots are just the Canaries in the coal mine. The effects of not enough eggs, goes way beyond birds! It has to do with the building blocks of a healthy ecosystem! Let it get out of wack and see what happens next! Hey F the crabs as long as we have our bait! There has to be a end to it somewhere! F the crabs, F the the whole D. bay we need bait! Put the health of the ecosystem 1st, I say F the greedy commies, that can't see past they're pocket books! The whole ecosystem is in trouble, get it? If allowed, they would take every last one, and wonder why fishing isn't like it used to be, FOR CRIPES SAKE! Thank God somebody's watching what's going on here. If there are no crabs to bump into you,it won't be long till there are no weakfish to fish for! Come on, smell the coffee. Horseshoe crab eggs, are the foundation of our ecosystem...

[ 02-09-2006, 10:49 AM: Message edited by: JohnG ]

 

[insomniac]

Horseshoe crab #s are down? That is the biggest load of crap. In my neighborhood by the deleware bay the amount of crabs that come to spawn on that flat is incredible. And I have to stand by every spring and have my beach closed(not that anybody goes on it anyway!) and the state patrols the area and they set up a bird watching landing so all those birding freaks from new age north jersey come watch red knots and the like eat horseshoe crab eggs. Now the red knots come from mexico where for money you can shoot as many out of the sky as you want like they are pigeons. This is all politics! If they are that concerned they can join me when I go out of my way in turning over the 300 or so horseshoe crabs that end up flipped upside down by the waves.
But no.. the birders might get there hands dirty touching a slimey crab. I am so sick of these idiots all they want to do is watch nature not do a damn thing for it. I remember bringing an injured bird to one of their nature facilities, and I felt really bad for this thing, and they told me they don't invovle themselves in that kind of activity. Then what good are you! I had to kill the damn bird to put it out of its misery. That really struck a nerve in me about what these people really do and one way or another my tax dollars are going to these institues labeled as education or some crap. I could definitely see if the population was that bad but it isn't.

[ 02-09-2006, 10:57 AM: Message edited by: insomniac ]

 

[NIGHTSTRIKES]

Maybe just maybe its the Redknots that have been gorging themselves for decades now on Horseshoe Crab Eggs that put the dent in the population..

 

[Bob ECT]

JohnG,

It's not the crabs or the birds people have a problem with, it's the science or lack of in this situation that people have a problem with. When you look into what these decisions are based on there isn't much to support it.