Help the Red Knot!!!

[semillama]

As some of you are no doubt aware, the eastern subspecies of Red knot is in danger of extinction due to a threat to a major food source on the east coast, the eggs of horseshoe crabs. The overfishing of horseshoe crabs in the spring is taking away this food source just as the birds need it most. A ban was proposed on crab harvesting in the spring, but commercial fisheries which use the crabs as bait got it defeated. (see link for more info: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/pa/20080212_A_setback_for_advocates_of_at-risk_shore_bird.html)

You can write letters to the governors of MD and DE to support a moratorium, but another good way to help is to donate to the Delmarva Birdathon, which is using donated funds to purchase shorebird habitat specifically to address the problem of the horseshoe crab harvest. here's the link:

http://www.dosbirds.org/bird-a-thon/

[vireo]

1. There was a "Nova" report about this on PBS last month

Researchers on the former nesting grounds failed to find any birds. :cry:

[semillama]

2. UPDATE!

The New Jersey State Assembly passed a bill 70-6 banning the harvest of horseshoe crabs until after shorebird migration is complete! A good result!

[shireen]

4. sounds like a band-aid on a gusher

A male hcrab takes about 9 years to reach adulthood, and for females, it's about 11 years. The lifespan could be as long as 20 years but many are lost due to beach stranding, harvesting, and during their "blood donations" to the pharmaceutical industry. An adult hcrab will spawn several times during the spawning season. So, individuals that were safe in May could be harvested after migration.

Let's say we have ten breeding females: Ann, Sue, Beth, Fran, Lee, Julie, Amanda, Sarah, Lisa, and Angie.

During spring migration, the hcrabs are safe. That's when their eggs are a critical food supply for the knots and other shorebirds.

Most knots would be gone by June 1st. Since the hcrab spawning season at Delaware Bay beaches is from early May to July/early August, peaking in mid-May/June, the harvesting will start around the first week of June to the end of July.

Females are generally used as bait for eel and conch fisheries; there's something about the eggs that attracts those critters. (Eels are in huge demand in the European and Japanese markets.)

Hcrabs are picked up to have their blood drawn by pharmaceutical companies. It's used to test medical equipment for pathogens. A small percentage don't survive the procedure.

Many crabs get stranded on the beach when waves toss them around. Sometimes they can use their tails (telson) to flip over. But some are too weak. They may be able to tolerate being upside down for about 1-2 days, but will eventually die of dehydration and heat, that is, if they're not attacked by gulls.

There's also habitat loss. New Jersey beaches are eroding, leaving less and less gentle sloping beach areas that the hcrabs need for spawning. The situation in Delaware is a little better (at least it was in the 90s when I was an active volunteer) since they have ongoing beach replenishment projects. Last I heard, unfortunately, Delaware was going to continue the harvest. (If I'm wrong, someone please correct me.)

An example of why this bill is a band-aid on a large wound.
Let's say we have 10 adult females: Ann, Fran, Sue, Beth, Lee, Julie, Amanda, Sarah, Lisa, and Angie. Ann and Fran are picked up during the hcrab harvest. That leaves Sue, Beth, Lee, Julie, Amanda, Sarah, Lisa, and Angie. Sue's pretty old and won't survive to see another spawning season. Beth is picked up for blood donation, but is one of the unlucky few that don't survive the procedure. So, we're left with Lee, Julie, Amanda, Sarah, Lisa, and Angie to spawn in the following year.

Even if the ban is in effect the following year, 1-2 of the girls could be removed from the breeding pool, and slowly over the years, their numbers get fewer and fewer. But you say, what about the youngsters who are maturing into breeding adults? Unfortunately, there aren't many of them, since many of their parents (and potential parents) had been harvested in the past few decades.

Hcrabs take about a decade to reach adulthood. That's a long time! Sadly, we're seeing the birds affected by egg shortages RIGHT NOW. If, by some miracle, there was a total ban on hcrabs, it will take 11 years to see the result of the first adult population surge. The Knot's food supply is currently bad, and will get worse over the next 10 years. Will they survive in large enough numbers to maintain a viable breeding population? I feel pessimistic about it because the greed is overwhelming.

Red Knots are little miracles. Each year, they migrate from as far as Tierra del Fuego to the Arctic Tundra, stopping along the way at a few staging areas (like Brazil, sometimes the lower Eastern US coast, Cape Cod area) but the most important stop is Delaware Bay. They fly for days at a time, non-stop, from staging area to staging area. When they arrive at Delaware Bay, they weigh about 100 grams. After feeding for 2 weeks on mostly hcrab eggs, they are supposed to double in weight, with departure weights of about 200 mg. For a couple of days or so before taking off to the Arctic, they rest, resorbing part of their gut to lighten their bodies so the accumulated fat deposits will sustain them a bit longer. An amazing journey.

Red Knots are little heartbreakers too. I've held those precious birds in my hand, and felt overwhelmed with wonder by their amazing lives. Knowing that we're seeing the slow demise of a truly extraordinary species is incredibly overwhelmingly sad.


http://www.fws.gov/northeast/redknot/

[tigereye]

3. thanks for the info!