Horseshoe Crab Sustainability Project

Internally funded initiative

Download Our Horseshoe Crab Sustainability Project Flyer (pdf)

ACC’s one-of-a-kind sustainability project meets a milestone of over one million juvenile crabs released!

In 2018 after working with local regulators to receive a class 1 type 4 aquaculture permit, ACC introduced our Horseshoe Crab Sustainability Project. This unique program was aimed at complementing our 50-year history of horseshoe crab conservation and ensuring a stable supply of horseshoe crabs now, and for future generations. The program was so successful that, in 2019, we were able to secure grants to help organizations release horseshoe crabs in Asia. In 2021, we achieved a major milestone and released our 1,000,000th crab in the waters of Massachusetts. In 2022, we made another milestone when we were issued a US patent on the system! (US Patent #11425894). To date, over 1.3 million juveniles have been released in Massachusetts!!

Our team collects horseshoe crab eggs, facilitates fertilization through IVF, nurtures hatchlings as they mature into juveniles, and strategically releases them back into their natural environment. This program only uses eggs collected from bait crabs that are sacrificed for the eel, conch, and whelk fisheries, extending their genetic legacy for generations to come.

Visit acciusa.com for more information and future updates!

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