New York’s Horseshoe Crab Harvest Ban

In December 2026, Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act, which phases out the catch of horseshoe crabs in state waters for both bait and biomedical use by 2029. 

New York joins New Jersey and Connecticut in enacting horseshoe crab harvest bans, and other Atlantic states are considering similar measures. Why are states enacting harvest bans, and how did New York achieve theirs? What activities does this new law prohibit, and how do its legal provisions operate? 

This webinar explores the legal, regulatory, political, and legislative underpinnings of New York’s horseshoe crab harvest ban and how an unlikely coalition of conservation groups and pharmaceutical companies prevailed.

Speakers

Will Harlan, Center for Biological Diversity

Danny Waltz, Center for Biological Diversity