Green Jersey

For the birds

Above: Red knots feeding. Photo by Andrew Easton

Each year, red knots trek from southern Chile to the Arctic, stopping at the Delaware Bay to refuel on eggs — horseshoe crab eggs, at the very time the crabs are spawning. But the crab population has declined, leaving the birds on the brink of extinction, according to the American Bird Conservancy (via the Bergen Record). Horseshoe crabs (also food for other migratory birds) are found in larger numbers in the Delaware Bay area than anywhere else in the world. The birds are a threatened species, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

The DEP proposed a horseshoe-crab harvesting moratorium, but on Monday, the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council rejected it by a 5-4 vote. The governor’s office responded Friday, saying “all options are on the table, including executive order” to protect the red knot and its food source, the crabs, according to the Record. The Record quoted Gov. Corzine’s deputy secretary Jim Gardner as saying they would speak to the Attorney General’s office to determine the best option. The Record also reported that John McKeon (D-Essex) plans to introduce legislation this week that would permanently prohibit the harvesting of the crabs.

To find out more about the relationship between the red knot and the horseshoe crab, try to get your hands on “Crash: A Tale of Two Species,” a film by Alison Argo, which aired last Sunday on PBS. To watch a related video podcast, click here; to read about the film and watch the trailer, click here; to catch a repeat broadcast, get in touch with PBS.