Mr. Colvin distributed a draft of proposed emergency rule-making for horseshoe crabs. He explained that time was critical; quick adoption of these proposed regulations was needed if New York was to comply with the ASMFC’s Horseshoe Crab Management Plan. The states have a 01 April 2000 deadline for implementing measures consistent with the management plan. The plan provides a state-by-state commercial harvest quota that is approximately a 25% reduction in historic annual horseshoe crab landings in every state (455,000 lb. in New York). New regulations were needed to avoid penalties for exceeding the harvest cap and to manage the quota so as to leave some available for later in the season. The provisions require a special permit to possess more than ten horseshoe crabs and also institute catch reporting requirements, monthly from August to March and (by telephone) from May to July. When 75% of the quota is caught, all special permit holders will be limited to five crabs in possession until 01 September, when the possession limit would be lifted until the full quota is caught. All crab license holders would be eligible for the new, free special horseshoe permits.

Mr. Colvin continued that New York crabbers had expressed concern both that too much of the state’s horseshoe crab harvest could be exported, so that local bait needs would not be met, or that so much might be imported that the local market would be saturated. Thus, the proposed regulations prohibit the landing of crabs in New York that were caught outside of state waters and also prohibit the export to other states/countries of horseshoe crabs landed in New York.

Once instituted on an emergency basis, the proposed horseshoe crab regulations would remain in force for a 90-day comment period, at the end of which the emergency regulations would either be adopted permanently, amended, or allowed to expire. Mr. Colvin clarified that the 10-crab limit was not a harvest limit, but a trigger--if you possess more than 10 crabs, you need the special permit. Until 75% of the annual quota is reached, there would be no daily catch or possession limits, only the reporting requirement.