TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senators Joseph F. Vitale and Bob Gordon to impose a moratorium on the taking of horseshoe crabs to protect the food supply for the endangered red knot shorebird was signed into law by Governor Corzine today.
“New Jersey’s leaders looked the other way for years as the over-fishing of horseshoe crabs damaged the natural food chain, and drove the red knot shorebird to the brink of extinction,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex. “Without State intervention, this pattern surely would have continued to the point where the only place future generations would have been able to see the red knot would have been the museum. However, today, we are taking a responsible step to protect this endangered bird, and restore the delicate balance in the region’s ecosystem.”