PETA urges Ocean City to replace hermit crab races with robot crabs
Animal rights group says the city's annual event should shift to crab-friendly activities that do not use live animals.
More Stories
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is urging Ocean City to replace its annual hermit crab races with robot crabs and other activities that do not involve live animals.
In a letter sent Wednesday to Mayor Jay Gillian, PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk asked the city to retire its annual Miss Crustacean Beauty Pageant and Hermit Crab Races, arguing the events promote an industry that removes hermit crabs from the wild and keeps them in captivity.
Instead, PETA proposed crab-themed activities such as races featuring robotic or remote-controlled crabs, crab-walk relay races and a pageant recognizing efforts to protect coastal wildlife. The organization said it would provide robot crabs for the event.
"Hermit crabs are individuals with their own interests, and in this day and age, we know enough to respect them, rather than scoop them from their ocean homes and use them for our entertainment," Newkirk said in a statement.
PETA said hermit crabs can live for more than 40 years in the wild but often die within weeks or months in captivity because of improper care. The organization also said the animals require humidity, space and social interaction that cannot be replicated in the small containers in which they are commonly sold as pets.
The animal rights group said it hopes Ocean City will preserve the event's spirit while replacing live hermit crabs with animal-friendly alternatives.
News 12 reached out for comment via email to the Ocean City mayor.
The Miss Crustacean Hermit Crab Beauty Pageant and Hermit Crab Races are scheduled for Aug. 19 at the 6th Street Beach in Ocean City.
