SOURCE:
By Beth Young - December 20, 2025
Ms. Hochul had vetoed the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act last year, after concerns were raised by fishing industry representatives, but had a change of heart this year.
She had said in her 2024 veto statement that she believed the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s voluntary statewide catch limit of 150,000 horseshoe crabs per year, down from the 300,000 limit the state is allowed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, did enough to protect the species.
This year’s bill phases out the DEC quota gradually over the next four years, with the complete prohibition in effect in the year 2029.
The Group for the East End and Citizens Campaign for the Environment had both led public outreach efforts on behalf of the bill this fall.
Group for the East End President Bob DeLuca said “tens of thousands of horseshoe crabs will be saved every year from being harvested for bait. In addition, the biomedical industry will be prohibited from using them for any purpose,” in an email Saturday to supporters of the effort .” It’s an extraordinary conservation victory for a prehistoric species whose numbers have plummeted recently on Long Island, mostly due to overharvesting and habitat loss. It’s the best news for horseshoe crabs, but it’s also great news for many other species, including vulnerable shorebirds who rely on horseshoe crab eggs for their own survival.”
“Christmas came early for the Horseshoe Crabs! This is an amazing holiday gift, and Governor Hochul has given us a big reason to celebrate,” said Citizens Campaign for the Environment Executive Director Adrienne Esposito. “Horseshoe crabs have walked the Earth since the time of the dinosaurs, and we want to make sure they don’t go extinct. The Horseshoe Crab Protection Act will prevent the taking of horseshoe crab for commercial and biomedical purposes, allowing horseshoe crab populations to rebound and New York to protect this historic species for future generations.”
