Classified not as true crabs but as marine arthropods most closely related to spiders and scorpions, horseshoe crabs are among the oldest living creatures on Earth, with fossils of their ancestors dating back some 450 million years. Such a listing would generally make it unlawful to harm or kill a horseshoe crab without a special permit. The petition cites numerous threats to the American horseshoe crab, one of four living species of the animal, stemming from human activities. Harlan said non-industry research shows about 30% of horseshoe crabs collected for blood extraction die in the process. Mass die-offs have been observed in the past three years, with NOAA in 2023 ranking the horseshoe crab's overall vulnerability to climate change as "very high," the petition said.

Source: The Hindu February 13, 2024 17:05 UTC