BILL NUMBER: S7297

SPONSOR: LAVALLE
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in
relation to the taking of crabs

 
PURPOSE:

The purpose of this bill is to enhance and extend the Department of
Environmental Conservation's (DEC) crab management practices.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

This bill would extend, for one year, the authority of DEC to manage
crabs by regulation; and, require DEC to consult with a municipality
upon requests that municipal property be subject to a harvest closure.

 
EXISTING LAW:

Current authority expires December 31, 2017.
              

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Crabs have played an important role in New York's fishing history. For
example, the horseshoe crab has sometimes been called a living fossil,
having remained relatively unchanged in appearance for 350 million
years. Horseshoe crabs are an important part of the ecosystem, serving
as a food source for migratory shorebirds, including red knots function-
ing as bait for the taking of whelk and American eel and providing an
important contribution to medicine with a clotting agent in their blood
called Limulus Amoeboyte Lysate (LL) for which there is currently no
synthetic substitute. This legislation is a chapter amendment to S.6682,
which passed both houses of the legislature during the 2017 legislative
session. It would extend DEC's authority to manage crabs, including
horseshoe crabs, for an additional year and, rather than require the
department to provide for cooperation with municipalities in public
beach harvest closures in its rules and regulations, would require the
department to consult with municipalities in public beach harvest
closures in its rules and regulations.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediate.