450-million-year-old horseshoe crabs being pushed to the brink of extinction in Odisha

Horseshoe crabs, the 90th century oldest living creatures on earth with priceless medicinal values are being pushed to the brink of extinction off Odisha waters. Only an immediate robust protection mechanism can stop the 450-million-year-old living fossil from becoming extinct.

Older than dinosaurs, the horseshoe crabs are the true red-blooded creatures of the planet. Until a few years ago, these ancient creatures were seen in huge numbers on sandy beaches in Odisha, especially in Balasore and Kendrapara. But day by day their sightings are getting rare, calling for an immediate robust protection programme.

The sudden disappearance is a stark siren for the marine ecosystem as the horseshoe crab is now in danger of overexploitation of marine resources by humans. So, scientists, researchers and conservationists have called for immediate ban on use of fishing nets by commercial fishermen.

“We set up fishing nets to catch fishes. The horseshoe crabs are also falling to the fishing nets and dying,” said a fisherman.

Alarmed by the decline in numbers, conservationists are now demanding a separate sanctuary for the horseshoe crabs.

“They prefer the beaches mostly for laying eggs. However, the fishing nets by fishermen prove fatal for their existence. They are caught in fishing nets and die,” said Sudhakar Sethy, a conservationist.

“We need more estuaries with a mixture of sweet and salty water for their breeding. However, the horseshoe crabs get trapped in the fishing nets laid by fishermen while finding a suitable place for themselves. They cannot reach the estuaries due to the fishing nets,” said D. Siddharth Pati, a researcher.

If this continues unabated, not just horseshoe crabs but all other aquatic animals will also slowly extinct. The government needs to wake up and take strong steps before things get too late, Pati added.