Environmental group sues feds over delayed horseshoe crab protection decision

Environmentalists sue feds to protect 'prehistoric' crabs that frequent South Carolina coast

Environmentalists are suing the federal government over what they say is a failure to protect the horseshoe crab, a prehistoric-looking species that is important to the survival of shore birds in South Carolina and other coastal states.

Environmental group sues feds over delayed horseshoe crab protection decision

At issue is whether the American horseshoe crab should be protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Center for Biological Diversity files lawsuit for American horseshoe crab protections

The Center for Biological Diversity sued the National Marine Fisheries Service on Monday for failing to make a preliminary decision on whether to protect American horseshoe crabs under the Endangered Species Act. Crab populations have crashed by over 70 percent due to overharvesting and habitat loss.  The Center for Biological Diversity and 25 additional organizations petitioned the agency in February 2024 to protect horseshoe crabs, which live …