The unassuming red knot makes a heroic journey every year. Starting at the southernmost end of South America, this sea bird flies all the way to the arctic where it nests and raises the next generation of red knots. Most red knots make a "rest stop" in Delaware Bay where they bulk up on broken horseshoe crab eggs. Without this important refueling break, the birds would starve to death.This is where we come in.
Horseshoe crabs are recovering, thanks to strict harvest limits in Delaware, but this new generation of crabs will not mature in time to provide sufficient eggs to feed the red knots. Meanwhile, the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the red knot as a species of "least concern." This listing is clearly not based on forward-looking projections. Tell the IUCN to relist the red knot as "vulnerable" or "near threatened."
We the undersigned ask that you reconsider your listing of the red knot as a species of "least concern." Scientific projections show the red knot with a future food shortage at its Delaware Bay migratory stop over. Specifically, the shortage of horseshoe crab eggs is likely to hurt the red knot population which has already suffered from development and environmental degradation. Please change the red knot's status to "vulnerable" or "near threatened."
