Horseshoe crabs are harvested by the biomedical industry for their blood, which contains a compound used to test for bacterial contamination in medical devices. This practice raises significant welfare concerns.
The welfare status of horseshoe crabs is debated, but their nervous systems and behavioral responses suggest they are capable of stress responses to being handled, transported, and bled. The mortality rate from the bleeding process is substantial. Beyond individual welfare, horseshoe crab population declines have cascading ecosystem effects, reducing food availability for shorebirds during critical migration windows. Transition to synthetic rFC alternatives would eliminate both the welfare cost and ecological pressure of biomedical harvesting.