FreeLists / va-richmond-general / [va-richmond-general] Re: Horseshoe Crab Bill

[Mary Davis <madanthony3@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Wow.  Now those are interesting facts.  I'm not sure what population 
recruitment means.  Could you elaborate?  I like your suggestion for matching 
the moratoriums of other states.  Perhaps Audubon Societies in the 
Tidewater/Central Virginia area could work with VMRC and other organizations, 
with the aid of researchers, to craft a better bill next year.

Mary Davis

PS - Thanks to Wendy as well for clarification of the proceedings and the bill 
itself.  I knew people witnessing the proceedings could not speak up, but was 
wondering if any legislators had asked.

-----Original Message-----
>From: Mike Wilson <mdwils@xxxxxx>
>Sent: Feb 8, 2006 1:01 PM
>To: va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: [va-richmond-general] Re: Horseshoe Crab Bill
>
>An important fact to know is that Red Knots do not forage on horseshoe crab 
>eggs in Virginia.  They are foraging on bivalves while here.  So the 
>horseshoe crab harvest in Virginia does not affect Red knots directly but I 
>do not know how the harvest impacts other species (including other birds), 
>horseshoe crabs, or the ecosystem at large.  It is also important to know 
>that while migratory populations of Red Knots have declined greatly in 
>Delaware Bay, the peak numbers during migration in Virginia have not changed 
>in 10 years.  So, aside from the impact on other species that may be 
>unknown, the biggest issue is that Virginia remains the loophole for 
>fisherman to harvest horseshoe crabs in Delaware Bay and land them here. 
>The other unknown is the spatial extent of horseshoe crab population 
>dynamics.  Does Virginia play a role in population recruitment of crabs in 
>Delaware Bay?  I don't know the answer to that question but it obviously has 
>implications.  Perhaps a key element is to regulate the Virginia harvest and 
>landing and not impose a full moratorium on the harvest.  Although I have no 
>suggestion how that could be accomplished.
>
>Rather than attach a population target to the bill, as was done, a better 
>strategy may have been to have the bill simply follow the moratorium of the 
>states in Delaware Bay.  That is, Virginia maintains a moratorium until NJ 
>lifts their prohibition and so on.  I do not know how those states 
>moratoriums are written into law but that could be problematic as well. 
>
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