Commercial horseshoe crab season now open

Published 5:18 pm Monday, January 4, 2021

By Staff Reports

horseshoe crab
Horseshoe crab. Courtesy NOAA
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North Carolina Marine Fisheries Proclamation M-2-2021 opened the season to the commercial harvest of horseshoe crabs from 12:01 a.m. Jan. 1, 2021 through 11:59 p.m. April 30, 2021.

The daily harvest limit is established at 50 horseshoe crabs per fishing operation.

Effective May 1, 2021, it is unlawful to possess horseshoe crabs taken in a commercial fishing operation.

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The intent of this proclamation is to allow North Carolina to comply with the requirements of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Interstate Fisheries Management Plan for Horseshoe Crab. North Carolina is operating under a state quota and these trip limits and harvest periods are meant to constrain the harvest of horseshoe crabs to the quota.

READ MORE IN OUR ON THE WATER SECTION HERE.

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