Environmentalists on Monday sued NOAA Fisheries for slow-walking a decision on whether to protect American horseshoe crabs under the Endangered Species Act.
Joined in the lawsuit by 25 allied conservation groups, the Center for Biological Diversity contends that the federal agency badly missed a May 2024 deadline for making an initial determination on a petition to list the species that plays important roles in both the ecosystem and the biomedical industry.
“We could lose these living fossils forever if they don’t get Endangered Species Act protections soon,” said Will Harlan, a senior scientist at the Center, in a statement, adding that “it’s reckless to delay their obvious need for protection, so we’re going to court to force the government to do its job.”
American horseshoe crab populations have “crashed” by more than 70 percent in the past three decades, according to the petition.
