Arlington, VA – The Commission’s Horseshoe Crab Management Board reviewed the 2024 Horseshoe Crab Stock Assessment Update, which indicates improvements in stock status from the 2019 assessment. The Board also received a response by the Adaptive Resource Management (ARM) Subcommittee to an external review of the ARM Framework.
The 2024 Horseshoe Crab Stock Assessment Update evaluated the stock status of the resource by region, finding the coastwide population to be in a good condition. Regionally, the Delaware Bay and Southeast regions were also in good condition, the Northeast was considered neutral, and the New York region remains in poor condition. While the Southeast region stock status remains good, there are some indices that are trending down in recent years and trends in the Southeast should be monitored in addition to those in the New York region, which has not improved substantially since the last assessment.
The Board also received a report from the ARM Subcommittee responding to the critique of the revised ARM Framework produced by Earthjustice. After conducting a thorough review and technical evaluation of the specific issues raised in the critique, the ARM Subcommittee maintains the red knot and horseshoe crab population models used in the ARM Framework represent the best use of the available data. Further, the trawl surveys and egg density data all indicate an increase in horseshoe crab populations in the region, a result consistent with the stock assessment update. The Subcommittee concluded that the Earthjustice critique was largely unfounded and failed to offer any alternative management approaches. As science and modeling approaches evolve, the Subcommittee will continue to revise and improve the ARM Framework for managing the Delaware Bay horseshoe crab fishery.
A more detailed description of the stock assessment results, the 2024 Horseshoe Crab Stock Assessment Update Report, and the ARM Subcommittee’s response to the critique by Earthjustice will be available on the Commission website, www.asmfc.org, on the Horseshoe Crab webpage next week. For more information, please contact Caitlin Starks, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at cstarks@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.