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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. Several fishermen explained they purchase most bait from out of state and that an in‑state ban would not reduce the overall harvest outside the state but would wipe out local fishermen.
DEEP's Justin Davis answered questions about fisheries data and told lawmakers the agency lacks the information to weigh conservation benefits against economic harms, and that the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission sets regional quotas and stock assessments. He suggested alternatives, such as clearer possession bans or limiting sources of bait to defined regions (e.g., Delaware Bay or medical‑bleeder discards) that have robust monitoring, and said the current proposal would benefit from clarification to be enforceable.
Commercial representatives urged additional fishery‑independent surveys (including salt‑marsh spawning habitats) and short‑term regulatory options like seasonal closures and graduated fines to target poaching rather than cutting off bait access for local fishermen.
What happens next: Several legislators asked for a data‑driven path: more targeted surveys and consultation with commercial fishing representatives and the Atlantic States Commission before advancing an outright bait prohibition.
