双语新闻：环保组织正在寻求美国马蹄蟹濒临灭绝的官方声明
A group of environmental organizations is seeking an official declaration that American horseshoe crabs are endangered.
一些环保组织正在寻求美国马蹄蟹濒临灭绝的官方声明。
The groups have requested the declaration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The U.S. agency administers the Endangered Species Act, which was established in 1973.
这些组织已经向美国国家海洋和大气管理局(NOAA)提出了声明。该机构负责执行1973年制定的《濒危物种法》。
The American horseshoe crab – known as a "living fossil" – is one of the oldest living creatures on Earth. It is believed to date back at least 450 million years. Scientists do not actually consider horseshoes true crabs. This is because they are more closely related to spiders and scorpions than to other sea creatures.
美国马蹄蟹被称为“活化石”，是地球上最古老的生物之一。据信它至少可以追溯到4.5亿年前。科学家们实际上并不认为马蹄是真正的螃蟹。这是因为它们与蜘蛛和蝎子的关系比与其他海洋生物的关系更密切。
If NOAA approves the endangered declaration, it would generally make it unlawful for people to harm or kill a horseshoe crab without an official permit to do so.
如果美国国家海洋和大气管理局批准了这一濒危物种的声明，那么人们在没有官方许可的情况下伤害或杀死马蹄蟹通常是非法的。
Research suggests horseshoe crab populations in the U.S. have decreased sharply over the past 30 years. For example, growth numbers for the animals are down two-thirds from 1990 in an area of the Delaware Bay. Environmental groups say this body of water in the northeastern state of Delaware once held the largest population of horseshoe crabs.
研究表明，在过去30年里，美国的马蹄蟹数量急剧减少。例如，在特拉华湾的一个地区，动物的数量比1990年下降了三分之二。环保组织表示，特拉华州东北部的这片水域曾经是马蹄蟹数量最多的地方。
Research also shows that egg densities for the animals have fallen more than 80 percent over the past 40 years. The reproduction drops are linked to environmental changes causing other sea creatures to eat their larvae and eggs, researchers say.
研究还表明，在过去的40年里，这些动物的卵密度下降了80%以上。研究人员说，繁殖下降与环境变化有关，环境变化导致其他海洋生物吃掉它们的幼虫和卵。
A collection of 23 environmental groups have joined to seek the endangered declaration. The request, or petition, also seeks the establishment of a "critical habitat" for horseshoe crabs to be protected.
23个环保组织已经联合起来寻求将其列为濒危物种。该请求或请愿书还寻求为马蹄蟹建立一个“关键栖息地”加以保护。
The request names numerous threats to the animals – all of which are blamed on human activities. These include harvesting the crabs to be used for bait, use in biomedical activities, habitat loss and climate change.
该请求列举了许多动物面临的威胁，所有这些都归咎于人类活动。这些问题包括捕获螃蟹用作诱饵、用于生物医学活动、栖息地丧失和气候变化。
A spokesperson for NOAA confirmed to Reuters news service the agency was examining the groups' petition, but did not comment further.
美国国家海洋和大气管理局的一位发言人向路透社证实，该机构正在审查这些团体的请愿书，但没有进一步置评。
Will Harlan is a senior scientist at the Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity. He told Reuters, "We're wiping out one of the world's oldest and toughest creatures." His group is one of those seeking the endangered declaration.
威尔·哈兰是亚利桑那州生物多样性中心的资深科学家。他告诉路透社，“我们正在消灭世界上最古老、最顽强的生物之一。”他所在的组织是寻求宣布濒危物种的组织之一。
Drug manufacturers harvest horseshoe crabs in large numbers for their blue-colored blood. The blood is used to test and develop drugs and medical devices. The petition states that in 2022, nearly 1 million of the animals were used for medical purposes.
制药商大量捕获马蹄蟹，因为它们有蓝色的血液。这些血液被用来测试和开发药物和医疗设备。请愿书称，在2022年，近100万只动物被用于医疗目的。
Current law permits the biomedical industry to capture small amounts of horseshoe crab blood before releasing the animals alive to areas where they were collected.
现行法律允许生物医学行业在将活的马蹄蟹放归采集地之前捕获少量马蹄蟹血。
However, NOAA says between 10 to 15 percent of harvested animals die during this process. Harlan said non-industry research suggests this rate is even higher. Those estimates show that 30 percent of horseshoe crabs captured for blood collection die in the process.
然而，美国国家海洋和大气管理局表示，在这个过程中，有10%到15%的收获动物死亡。哈兰说，非工业研究表明，这一比例甚至更高。这些估计表明，在采集血液的过程中，30%的马蹄蟹死亡。
Harlan noted that while synthetic blood versions are widely used in Europe, American companies have been slow to use them.
哈兰指出，虽然人造血液在欧洲被广泛使用，但美国公司使用它们的速度很慢。
The petition says the other main cause of population drops is overharvesting of horseshoe crabs for commercial fisheries. Environmental activists say this is likely to continue, with no sign of recovery even after harvesting limits were established.
请愿书称，导致马蹄蟹数量下降的另一个主要原因是商业渔业过度捕捞马蹄蟹。环保人士表示，这种情况可能会继续下去，即使在制定了采伐限制之后，也没有任何恢复的迹象。
一些环保组织正在寻求美国马蹄蟹濒临灭绝的官方声明。
The groups have requested the declaration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The U.S. agency administers the Endangered Species Act, which was established in 1973.
这些组织已经向美国国家海洋和大气管理局(NOAA)提出了声明。该机构负责执行1973年制定的《濒危物种法》。
The American horseshoe crab – known as a "living fossil" – is one of the oldest living creatures on Earth. It is believed to date back at least 450 million years. Scientists do not actually consider horseshoes true crabs. This is because they are more closely related to spiders and scorpions than to other sea creatures.
美国马蹄蟹被称为“活化石”，是地球上最古老的生物之一。据信它至少可以追溯到4.5亿年前。科学家们实际上并不认为马蹄是真正的螃蟹。这是因为它们与蜘蛛和蝎子的关系比与其他海洋生物的关系更密切。
If NOAA approves the endangered declaration, it would generally make it unlawful for people to harm or kill a horseshoe crab without an official permit to do so.
如果美国国家海洋和大气管理局批准了这一濒危物种的声明，那么人们在没有官方许可的情况下伤害或杀死马蹄蟹通常是非法的。
Research suggests horseshoe crab populations in the U.S. have decreased sharply over the past 30 years. For example, growth numbers for the animals are down two-thirds from 1990 in an area of the Delaware Bay. Environmental groups say this body of water in the northeastern state of Delaware once held the largest population of horseshoe crabs.
研究表明，在过去30年里，美国的马蹄蟹数量急剧减少。例如，在特拉华湾的一个地区，动物的数量比1990年下降了三分之二。环保组织表示，特拉华州东北部的这片水域曾经是马蹄蟹数量最多的地方。
Research also shows that egg densities for the animals have fallen more than 80 percent over the past 40 years. The reproduction drops are linked to environmental changes causing other sea creatures to eat their larvae and eggs, researchers say.
研究还表明，在过去的40年里，这些动物的卵密度下降了80%以上。研究人员说，繁殖下降与环境变化有关，环境变化导致其他海洋生物吃掉它们的幼虫和卵。
A collection of 23 environmental groups have joined to seek the endangered declaration. The request, or petition, also seeks the establishment of a "critical habitat" for horseshoe crabs to be protected.
23个环保组织已经联合起来寻求将其列为濒危物种。该请求或请愿书还寻求为马蹄蟹建立一个“关键栖息地”加以保护。
The request names numerous threats to the animals – all of which are blamed on human activities. These include harvesting the crabs to be used for bait, use in biomedical activities, habitat loss and climate change.
该请求列举了许多动物面临的威胁，所有这些都归咎于人类活动。这些问题包括捕获螃蟹用作诱饵、用于生物医学活动、栖息地丧失和气候变化。
A spokesperson for NOAA confirmed to Reuters news service the agency was examining the groups' petition, but did not comment further.
美国国家海洋和大气管理局的一位发言人向路透社证实，该机构正在审查这些团体的请愿书，但没有进一步置评。
Will Harlan is a senior scientist at the Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity. He told Reuters, "We're wiping out one of the world's oldest and toughest creatures." His group is one of those seeking the endangered declaration.
威尔·哈兰是亚利桑那州生物多样性中心的资深科学家。他告诉路透社，“我们正在消灭世界上最古老、最顽强的生物之一。”他所在的组织是寻求宣布濒危物种的组织之一。
Drug manufacturers harvest horseshoe crabs in large numbers for their blue-colored blood. The blood is used to test and develop drugs and medical devices. The petition states that in 2022, nearly 1 million of the animals were used for medical purposes.
制药商大量捕获马蹄蟹，因为它们有蓝色的血液。这些血液被用来测试和开发药物和医疗设备。请愿书称，在2022年，近100万只动物被用于医疗目的。
Current law permits the biomedical industry to capture small amounts of horseshoe crab blood before releasing the animals alive to areas where they were collected.
现行法律允许生物医学行业在将活的马蹄蟹放归采集地之前捕获少量马蹄蟹血。
However, NOAA says between 10 to 15 percent of harvested animals die during this process. Harlan said non-industry research suggests this rate is even higher. Those estimates show that 30 percent of horseshoe crabs captured for blood collection die in the process.
然而，美国国家海洋和大气管理局表示，在这个过程中，有10%到15%的收获动物死亡。哈兰说，非工业研究表明，这一比例甚至更高。这些估计表明，在采集血液的过程中，30%的马蹄蟹死亡。
Harlan noted that while synthetic blood versions are widely used in Europe, American companies have been slow to use them.
哈兰指出，虽然人造血液在欧洲被广泛使用，但美国公司使用它们的速度很慢。
The petition says the other main cause of population drops is overharvesting of horseshoe crabs for commercial fisheries. Environmental activists say this is likely to continue, with no sign of recovery even after harvesting limits were established.
请愿书称，导致马蹄蟹数量下降的另一个主要原因是商业渔业过度捕捞马蹄蟹。环保人士表示，这种情况可能会继续下去，即使在制定了采伐限制之后，也没有任何恢复的迹象。
