Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Abstract
In Florida, some horseshoe crabs are fished for eel bait, but they are fished principally by the marine-life industry, which collects the animals live for resale as aquarium, research, or educational specimens. The regulations for the horseshoe crab fisheries are developed by each state in compliance with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Horseshoe Crab Management Plan. This report was written to provide information on the biology,
stock status, and management of horseshoe crabs and
the implications relevant to the request for an increased
bag limit by harvesters in the marine-life industry
