FORMERLY
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE OFFICIAL STATE MARINE ANIMAL.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE :
WHEREAS, horseshoe crabs are 500 million year old creatures; and
WHEREAS, horseshoe crabs contain a compound, limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) that is used to detect bacterial poisons in certain medications, vaccines and medical devices; and
WHEREAS, chitin from the shell of the horseshoe crab is used to make bandages; and
WHEREAS, the horseshoe crab is used in vision studies because their complex eye structure is similar to the human eye; and
WHEREAS, the horseshoe crab is the principal food source for over a million shore birds; and
WHEREAS, these wonderful marine animals are becoming extremely scarce in Delaware, experiencing a drop in population from 1,200,000 in 1990 to 200,000 in 1995; and
WHEREAS, the Delaware Bay remains the home to more horseshoe crabs than any other place in the world; and
WHEREAS, Delaware is proud to be the home of such important marine animals.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:
Section 1. Amend Chapter 3, Title 29 of the Delaware Code by adding a new §318 thereto to read as follows:
"§318. State marine animal.
The official State marine animal is the horseshoe crab."
Section 2. This Act shall take effect immediately upon enactment into law.
