Horseshoe crab seizure – Sulawesi, Indonesia – May 2012

Species: Tachypleus tridentatus

Date: 23 May 2012

Location: Sam Ratulangi International Airport, Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Press report:

On Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 5:30 pm there was an attempt of smuggling types of crabs hooves (mimi) / Horseshoe crab (Tachypleus gigas) through Sam Ratulangi International Airport, Manado, North Sulawesi foiled by officers KIPM Hall Grade II Manado. The animals were scheduled to be brought to Jakarta.

The animal is a protected animal by PP. 7 Year 1999 on Preservation of Flora and Fauna.

The five horseshoe crabs were handed over to the Natural Resources Conservation Agency of North Sulawesi province. See photographs below:

Details can be found at the following link:

http://www.bkipm.kkp.go.id/bkipm/event/read/807/penggagalan-upaya-penyelundupan-jenis-ketam-tapak-kuda-(-tachipleus-gigas-)-.html

Catastrophic declines in Tachypleus tridentatus in Hong Kong due to over-harvesting for TAL

Species: Tachypleus tridentatus

Dates: 1980 to 2001

Location: Hong Kong.

Comment:

Horseshoe crabs are not protected in Hong Kong.

Between 1980 and 2001, a Japanese pharmaceutical company set up a clandestine horseshoe crab bleeding facility in Hong Kong, to extract Tachypleus Amoebocyte Lycate (TAL) from local populations of the Chinese horseshoe crab Tachypleus tridentatus.

This clandestine bleeding facility was set up in a shark fin warehouse in Sheung Wan District, Hong Kong and horseshoe crabs were delivered there on a daily basis from the local trawling fleet. Because of the nature of the fishing industry in Hong Kong at the time, it is highly likely that many of these horseshoe crabs were caught in China. The crabs were bled dry, then returned to the fishermen for disposal.

In parallel with these clandestine bleeding activities, populations of T. tridentatus in Hong Kong collapsed, with conservative scientific estimates putting population declines at around 90%.

Japanese pharmaceutical company has set up other clandestine horseshoe crab bleeding facilities

Having bled the Chinese horseshoe crab population of Hong Kong dry, this pharmaceutical company tried to set up similar clandestine facilities in China, but State Law prohibits the export of horseshoe crab products, so they moved their attention to Vietnam and Indonesia, where they now operate similar clandestine bleeding facilities.

Photographs of clandestine horseshoe crab bleeding facility in Hong Kong

Photographs of the clandestine bleeding facility in operation in Hong Kong in the early 2000’s are posted below:

Horseshoe crabs were delivered on a daily basis by the trawling fleet.

Bleeding for TAL in a shark fin warehouse.

Female T. tridentatus being prepared for bleeding.