Customer Reviews

Crab Wars: A Tale of Horseshoe Crabs, Bioterrorism, and Human Health

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What if there was a special formula for a product that would detect Gram-negative bacteria (many of these bacteria cause disease) that was easy to use and make? What would this formula be worth, and how important would it be it preserve all the ingredients so that it can be used in perpetuity?

The formula exists: Limulus amebocyte lysate, a compound found in the blood of the horseshoe crab.

In Crab Wars, author William Sargent reviews briefly the history of the discovery of this lysate, the emerging industry associated with bleeding horseshoe crabs for medical research and public health, the ongoing harvesting of crabs for bait, and especially the legal wrangling of those making money (lots of it) from crab harvesting and bleeding, the state and federal regulators and managers of the ocean regions home to horseshoe crabs, and (even more briefly) the role of horseshoe crabs in ecosystem processes.

Sargent is a horseshoe crab advocate, and the flavor of the book is one that discourages overexploitation (he believes in exploitation, particularly because of the importance of the lysate in medicine).

As sympathetic as I am to ocean conservation issues, I have to admit that Crab Wars was uneven in its approach to horseshoe crab conservation. It really didn't make a case for the importance of horseshoe crabs in oceanic and terrestrial ecosystems (mentioning it isn't the same as making a case). It seemed to vilify horseshoe crab users while making conservationists saintly.

There are many, many ocean species being overexploited. To delve into the horseshoe crab story, I expected a deeper, richer review. Books like Voyage of the Turtle (by Carl Safina) and Cod (by Mark Kurlansky) come to mind. Crab Wars was not of this caliber. However, if you look at the websites of horseshoe crab exploitation apologists, you certainly won't find a balanced discussion of the issues. In fact, apologists state "The companies that produce [lysate] go to great lengths to ensure that the animals used in the making this valuable, life-saving test are handled with care and respect." When Sargent discusses bled crabs leaving the labs and heading right to the fishing boats to be chopped up for bait, the "...handled with care and respect..." statement doesn't ring true (although I certainly have no idea whether this practice continues today).

So Crab Wars is an imperfect start in learning more about the use, and abuse, of horseshoe crabs.

The previous reviewer must have a big ax to grind! His ad hominum attack on the author is outrageous, and ridiculous! I have both a medical research background, and lived many years near the Atlantic Ocean. Horseshoe crabs were once so common, you practically tripped over them, now they are virtually nonexistent!

Horseshoe crabs are in such big trouble that the Governors of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia have drastically reduced the allowable catch off their shores! The situation has deteriorated to the point that the Audubon Society is concerned about the potential extinction of certain migrating birds, which are dependent on Horseshoe crab eggs! Should we just sit on our hands in order to keep one tiny, and economically insignificant industry - whose sole purpose is to turn these ancient, and medically priceless, creatures into bait - happy? Sorry! No way! These offshore waters belong to all of us! They are not anyone's private domain to destroy at one's leisure for monetary gain!

This book appears to be largely the product of one man's personal agenda. Readers should use extreme caution in reading and using the "information" in this book. I encourage every reader who is seriously interested in horseshoe crabs to follow up by fact-checking with research scientists, biologists, and local conservation groups-there are many involved with horseshoe crabs. Hence, there is information available on horseshoe crabs from reliable and reputable primary sources. Before spending your money here..do your homework! and before acting on anything in this book, find the truth for yourself from those who do scientific research, who have dedicated their lives to studying these unique animals, and who take a pragmatic and scientific approach to conservation without manipulating the public with overly emotional and inflamatory propaganda. After that, if you are still curious, check it out from the library first...you'll thank me later.