The first major study of the international trade in seahorses recently released by TRAFFIC (Trade Records Analysis of Flora and Fauna in Commerce) forecasts that seahorse populations in the wild could crash if the rising and unlimited demand for them goes unchecked.
The new Species in Danger report "The International Trade In Seahorses", authored by Amanda C. J. Vincent of Oxford University, notes that at least 32 nations around the world are involved in trading dead and live seahorses—from Ecuador to Australia. The largest importers are China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, while the largest exporters are India (annual sales at least 1.3 million seahorses or 3,000 kg.), the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The global trade involves at least 20 million seahorses a year.
The majority of the seahorses Hippocampus spp. go into traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and its derivatives. (e.g., Japanese and Korean traditional medicines). European use of seahorses for medicines continued until at least the 18th century. Treatments including seahorses as ingredients are believed to benefit a range of conditions, including respiratory disorders such as asthma, sexual dysfunctions such as impotence, and general lethargy and pain. But seahorses are also used as aquarium fishes, curios, and even tonics.
"Although we don't yet have a complete picture of the effect of this trade on seahorse populations, the evidence that is available is extremely alarming," said Steven Broad, Executive Director of TRAFFIC International. "A comprehensive program of conservation measures needs to be implemented urgently if seahorses and the fisheries that depend upon them are to avoid a crisis."
Seahorses can be expensive. In 1995, the preferred large, bleached seahorses sold for up to US $1,200 per kilo in one Hong Kong outlet. Japanese consumers appear to pay the most for a much smaller seahorse. Dried seahorses of similar size cost at least US $11.49 each in Japan compared to about US $2.80 in Taiwan. Countries that sell imported seahorses as curios or aquarium pets include Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and UK. Some importers are also exporters, such as the USA.
Seahorses have horse-like heads atop upright bodies, long tubular snouts and eyes that swivel independently. They range in size from the newly discovered 10-20mm Australian seahorse (to be named H. minotaur) to the 300mm Pacific Seahorse H. ingens. Among the approximately 150 recorded scientific names, there are probably only 35 true species. Some seahorses have yet to be named, and existing names are undergoing a major revision.
Seahorses are caught by hand, scoop net or small seine, primarily by artisanal or subsistence fishers. They are also a by-catch of trawl fishing. Only Tasmania in Australia fully protects seahorses, although they are included in the French, Portuguese and Vietnamese Red Lists of Threatened Animals. Trawling is banned in the coastal waters of Indonesia, Taiwan and Thailand, which affords seahorses some indirect protection.
Seahorses are thought to have evolved at least 40 million years ago, with many tales about magical and medicinal properties woven around them. They are as notable for their male pregnancy as for their distinctive shape. They are also masters of camouflage, growing long skin filaments or dramatically changing color to match their habitats - seagrass, mangrove and coral reef.
The main focus of the 160-page report is Asia, but other country and regional reports are also included. It examines fishing methods, trade routes, volumes and values, key players and issues of conservation concern. The report also includes recommendations for action to help ensure that this trade does not endanger seahorses' survival. The findings come from at least 400 surveys and interviews conducted in 1993 and 1995).
Some of the report's major recommendations:
* Biological research should be and curios, should place seahorses on at least Annex D of the new EC Wildlife Trade regulations to be implemented in 1997. This would impose import monitoring requirements on member states.
* Consideration should be given to listing Indo-Pacific seahorse species as "vulnerable" in the next IUCN Red List. To date, only the Knysna Seahorse, H. capensis, has been given such status.
* The option of listing seahorses and curios, should place seahorses on at least Annex D of the new EC Wildlife Trade regulations to be implemented in 1997. This would impose import monitoring requirements on member states.
* Consideration should be given to listing Indo-Pacific seahorse species as "vulnerable" in the next IUCN Red List. To date, only the Knysna Seahorse, H. capensis, has been given such status.
* The option of listing seahorses from the TCM community.
With a network of 18 offices on five continents, TRAFFIC is a joint program of WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature and IUCN- the World Conservation Union. For more information, please contact Bobbie Jo Kelso of Traffic International at + (44) 1223 277427 or fax: +44 1223 277237 or Someshwar Singh of WWF International at +41 22 3649553
Don Johnson
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