Seahorses, their relatives and their habitats face significant threats from the heavy trade in seahorse products: for traditional medicine, the home aquarium industry and the trade in souvenir curios. On the way home from the Philippines, Shedd's conservation and research teams stopped in Hong Kong. Still in the company of Project Seahorse staff members, Shedd's conservation partner, they saw some of the ways in which traded seahorses are used.
At least 77 countries and territories around the world buy and sell seahorses, including the United States. According to Project Seahorse research, in 2001 the total global consumption of seahorses was at least 24 million. The home aquarium trade accounts for hundreds of thousands of live seahorses, but the majority of seahorses go to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and its derivatives to treat a range of medical conditions. Project Seahorse recognizes the needs of communities that depend on seahorses for TCM and for income. They work with stakeholders to ensure that seahorse populations remain healthy in the wild so that sustainable trade can continue.
Securing the future for seahorses requires the cooperation of scientists, regulatory authorities and nongovernmental organizations around the world. Project Seahorse worked tirelessly with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to introduce regulations on the trade of seahorses. CITES is an international agreement among governments to enforce the sustainable trade of wild plants and animals. CITES member countries, including the United States, agree on lists of species to be protected through trade restrictions. These agreements are legally binding to the governments that have signed the CITES treaty. With Project Seahorse leading the effort, seahorses were among the first marine fish species of commercial importance to receive CITES protection.
Project Seahorse has created a website, Hippocampusinfo.org, that contains a wealth of information on the global seahorse trade, including a species identification guide for live and dried seahorses.
Posted by Nicole Pierson, conservation
Isn't there a captive breeding program for seahorses in the aquarium trade to alleviate captures from the wild? Or are they too hard to breed in captivity?
Posted by: Alyssa | March 18, 2010 at 12:13 PM
I like seahorses. I am so shocked that people are acturally selling them and EATING THEM!! OMGOMGOMG
Posted by: Jenny Mclenn | March 19, 2010 at 08:50 PM
Hi Alyssa, thanks for your question.
Raising seahorses is difficult, time consuming and expensive. Seahorses are bred by various aquariums, hobbyists and to some extent on a commercial basis. Seahorses that are bred in aquariums are usually much more expensive than wild caught animals; and most of these animals will find their way to the aquarium trade. Unfortunately, raising enough seahorses to meet all trade demands (curios, TCM, etc.) is not a viable alternative.
- Nicole
Posted by: nicole pierson | March 22, 2010 at 10:17 AM