Wrap up/Launch

Horseshoe crabs current status is improving as harvesting from bait has decreased and harvesting for biomedical purposes does not lead to death for all.

Biomedical companies also harvest horseshoe crabs and drain their blue blood, which is used to detect toxins in drugs and medical devices. Horseshoe crab blood harvests have virtually doubled since 2017, with nearly 1 million horseshoe crabs harvested for their blood in 2022. Synthetic alternatives to horseshoe crab blood tests are already being used in Europe, but companies in the U.S. have been slow to adopt the alternatives.