Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 17:23:39 -0700 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Charlie Subject: Re: Horseshoe Crabs and Virginia MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Well Tyler, I have to agree with you on this one. But it is far from new that fishermen go on overkill mode for a few years' profit, destroy what they (and we, and the ecosystem) need, then cry when it's all gone. I wonder how long it'll be before they decide to take it out on cormorants like they have in New York? I, for one, will spend not a dime in the state of Virginia until this is changed. Not that I've ever been happy with that state's major lack of environmental ethics... Charlie --- Tyler Bell wrote: > Not only is Virginia one of the last vestiges > of tobacco, it seems that they have a corner on > the market of stupid fishermen as well. > > ******************************* > Washington Post > April 13, 2000 > Section B, page 4 > > VIRGINIA DEFIES RULE ON HORSESHOE CRABS. > STATE PITTED AGAINST ITS EAST COAST NEIGHBORS > IN BATTLE OVER NEW FISHING LIMIT. > > By STEVEN GINSBERG > Washington Post Staff Writer > > Horseshoe crabs --those helmet-shaped creatures > that dot Atlantic beaches > like remnants from a long-ago battle have > become the central figures in an > environmental struggle between Virginia and > virtually every other state > along the Eastern Seaboard. > > The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission > has ordered states to pare > their intake of horseshoe crabs by 25 percent > before May 1. Supporters say > the new regulation is necessary to protect > horseshoe crabs from extinction, > as well as to preserve migratory birds that > rely on crab eggs for food. > > But fishery officials in Virginia, which counts > on the animals as bait for > the $7 million-a-year conch industry, have > refused to go along, saying the > regulation is not based on scientific evidence. > The Virginia officials also > said they lack the legislative authority to > agree to the rule. > > "Our state laws require us to adopt regulations > based on science," said Jack > Travelstead, chief of fisheries management for > the Virginia Marine Resources > Commission. "When you look at the lack of > science.. . we can't do it, we > can't adopt the quota." > > Officials in other states concur that there is > a lack of scientific > evidence, but they favor erring on the.side of > conservation until that > information can be gathered. > > "Our point is that we need to be conservative > on this and hopefully not be > in a position of destroying the populations" > said Bruce Freeman, research > scientist at the New Jersey Division of Fish > and Wildlife. > > Officials in other states also are irked by > Virginia's contention that its > hands are tied by a lack of legislation. States > were alerted of the > impending change in November, and the > regulation was announced in February, > enough time, the other states said, to take > legislative action. Virginia's > legislative session ended March 10. > > "There's a way to do things if you want to do > them," said Charlie Lesser, > fisheries administrator for Delaware, "And if > you don't want to do them, > there are all kinds of ways not to do them." > > Horseshoe crabs are known as "living fossils' > because they have been around > for 250 million years. Individuals live to be > about 16 years old and grow to > a length of about two feet and a weight of 10 > pounds. > > > For most of the year, horseshoe crabs crawl > along the bottom of bays; they > emerge only in late spring and early summer to > spawn. The crabs bury their > eggs just under the surface of the beach. > The eggs serve as food for migratory birds as > they make their yearly journey > from South America to the Arctic, where they > reproduce. Environmental > officials fear that if the horseshoe crab > population dwindles, there won't > be enough eggs to fortify the birds to finish > their flights, much less > reproduce. > > "What's beginning to happen," said Perry > Plumart, senior policy adviser at > the National Audubon Society, "is that birds > are shown not to replenish body > weight when they go to the Arctic and they're > not able to reproduce." > > Conch processors in Virginia, however, warn of > a similar disintegration if > the regulation is adopted. "We estimate that > the plan in its current form > would result in about a 40 percent > shortfall in bait needed for Virginia's conch > industry," said Rick Robbins, > owner of Chesapeake Bay Packing in Newport > News. "The economic damages would > be in excess of $3 million to the industry." > > If Virginia does not comply by the May 1 > deadline, the Atlantic States > Marine Fisheries Commission will ask the U.S. > Commerce Department to force > Virginia into line, a process that could take > at least six months. > > From 1997 to 1999, the number of horseshoe > crabs brought into Virginia > surged from about 200,000 to more than 1 > million as fishermen migrated to > the "loophole" state. In response, Virginia > officials set the current catch > limit of 710,000 crabs a year, reasoning that > the state could absorb the > numbers not allowed in states that had already > reduced their intakes. But > the commission said Virginia's limit should be > 152,000 crabs, based on a > 1995-97 average that all states, including > Virginia, agreed upon. > > "Maryland and New Jersey went well beyond [the > required reduction] because > of the danger to birds," said Tom O'Connell, > the commission's horseshoe crab > plan coordinator. "Virginia's overage would > basically negate Maryland and > New Jersey's extra efforts." > > By the time the Commerce Department rules, it > is likely that Virginia > already will have reached the 710,000 limit. > Since the department's ruling > would be retroactive, Virginia would have to > make up the difference in > future years. That would mean the entire > industry could be shut down in > Virginia for four to five years. > > "That's something well have to consider," > Travelstead acknowledged. He said > it could persuade officials to acquiesce to the > regulation before May 1. > > Tyler Bell > mailto:bell@acnatsci.org > California, MD > http://www.audubon.org/listserv/md-smas-general.html > http://www.audubon.org/listserv/nd-birds.html > > ======================================================================To > leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to > listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com > with the following message in line 1: signoff > mdosprey > ====================================================================== ===== **************************************** Charlie Muise, Naturalist Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary Maryland, USA Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, because you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send online invitations with Yahoo! Invites. http://invites.yahoo.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================