NOAA Fisheries Announces a Negative 90-day Finding on Two Petition Requests to List Atlantic Horseshoe Crab as Endangered or Threatened

NOAA Fisheries received petitions from Friends of Animals and Center for Biological Diversity to list Atlantic horseshoe crab (HSC), and designate critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act. The petitions assert the populations have declined across the species range and that they face threats associated with four out of five of the listing factors (inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms, overutilization, habitat degradation, as well as other natural or manmade factors).

NOAA Fisheries reviewed the petitions, references provided by the petitions, and information readily available in our files, and found that the petitions do not present substantial scientific or commercial information to indicate listing Atlantic HSC may be warranted. Therefore, a negative 90-day finding was made.

Read the notice as published in the Federal Register today.

Questions?

Industry: Danielle Palmer, Office of Protected Resources, (978) 282-8468

Media: Contact GARFO Public Affairs