Del. Men were found guilty Friday, March 31, in federal district court in Wilmington of illegal horseshoe crabbing. Mass. Magistrate Judge Mary Par Thygne presided over the two-day trial. The two men captured horseshoe crabs in violation of state law and the transported the crabs across state lines, a Lacey Act violation. Sentencing is scheduled for the end of June, Tarr said. Donovan held a license for collecting horseshoe crabs, and Bass held a license allowing him to collect horseshoe crabs for commercial eel fishing.
State law regulates crab collection.
Horseshoe crabs have significant ecological, economic and scientific importance. The States of Maryland, New Jersey and Delaware have passed legislation to curb the horseshoe crab fishery, spurred by a one-third drop in the number of spawning crabs since 1991. In Delaware and other Eastern states, horseshoe crab eggs are a primary food source for migratory shorebirds. Delaware is one of the largest stopover areas for shorebirds in North America, with an estimated 1.5 million shorebirds passing through each spring. As the crabs deposit their eggs, the birds gorge themselves on this critical energy source to fuel their journey from South America to the Arctic.