Re: Hosreshore Crabs and Port Mahon Rd.
Larry Line (Lscrap@erols.com)
Thu, 13 May 1999 15:38:42 -0400
peter vankevich wrote:
>
> On Tuesday, May 11 1999 I and a couple of friends decided to take a day off
> for day of birding in Delaware. After spending the day in the Pocomoke
> Swamp, Redden State Forest and Prime Hook Wildlife Refuge, we ended the
> afternoon on Port Mahon Road in Little Creek. What was planned as a pleasant
> end to a good birding day, turned in a very disturbing sight. Along the
> road, I counted 10 pickup trucks all nearly filled with Horseshoe crabs.
> People were just throwing the crabs up to their trucks. There were hardly
> any crabs visible and the "harversters" were wading in the water to take
> others. Since the people were spread out along the road, there were not any
> shorebirds near them. Finally, at one point near the end of the road were
> hundreds of Ruddy Turnstones (with a lone Sanderling and no Red Knots)
> huddled in a feeding frenzy.
>
> I am a frequent visitor to this great shorebird road. I, like most birders,
> visit on weekends and never have I seen anything like this. The shorebirds
> were obviously disturbed, not to mention what must be happening to the
> Horseshoe crab breeding situation. I have been visiting this area since 1980
> and have noted substantial declines in the Horseshoe crab population.
>
> If this activity is legal, why are there not any Fish and Wildlife
> personnel or other state/federal agents observing and recording the numbers
> of Horseshoe crabs taken in this manner?
>
> Is this not a serious disturbance to shorebirds in a critical and sensitive
> area that is needed in order to feed, rest and prepare for the long flight
> north?
>
> I realize changing regulations is a cumbersome and time consuming process.
> But can't a "Sensitive Wildlife Area Do Not Enter" sign be placed along the
> side of this road in the interim?
>
> Something must be done.
>
> Peter Vankevich,
> President
> New Columbia Audubon Society of Washington, DC.
>
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Peter,
I went there frequently last year and what I saw was twice as bad! Each
pick-up had another pick-up body serving as a trailer and thus they had
two beds full of horeshoe crabs. Out on the road they were selling them
to a fellow in a 45' tractor trailer rig apparently as bail for deep sea
fish pots.
I used to fish the Delaware Bay 15 years ago and upon leaving the shore
one could not stand the smell due to the millions of crabs that had died
after spawing. Both sides of the jetty was piled high with bodies. Now
there are very few found during the same time period.
Larry Line Clarksville, MD