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Fishermen warn ban on horseshoe‑crab bait would devastate small commercial fisheries
Summary
Commercial fishermen and industry groups told the committee that banning horseshoe crabs as bait would cripple conch/whelk and eel fisheries. DEEP cited limited data and suggested targeted measures; stakeholders urged more fishery‑independent surveys and tailored closures instead of a statewide ban.
The most heated testimony on HB 5333 focused on a proposal to ban the use or possession of horseshoe crabs for bait. Commercial fishermen, fishing industry associations and local captains said the horseshoe crab is effectively irreplaceable for fisheries that depend on it (whelk/conch and eel), and described compelling economic harm and community impacts if the bait were outlawed in Connecticut.…
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