Discuss this articleShare your views with other visitors, and read what they have to say
On 15 May, seahorses became the first commercially valuable marine genus to be protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). A number of the world’s species of seahorses are threatened because of overfishing and unsustainable trade. IUCN lists nine seahorse species as vulnerable and one as endangered. Trade in recent years has been increasing at an 8-10 percent annual rate and an estimated 24 million seahorses are taken from the wild every year. Aquarium trade and use for traditional Chinese medicine are the two main uses of a seahorse. At least 77 countries are involved in the trade, making international regulations necessary to ensure the protection of seahorses. The conservation group Project Seahorse and the wildlife trade-monitoring organisation TRAFFIC recently produced an ID manual to help ensure the seahorse regulations are successful in conserving the animals. Ernie Cooper of TRAFFIC noted the manual would be distributed to customs agents and law enforcement officials in 165 countries to help them enforce the new rules through proper identification of the different species. The CITES regulations for seahorses were approved in November 2002 but delayed for 18 months to allow countries time to put in place enforcement policies.
“International Protection Kicks in for Seahorses,” ENS, 14 May 2004; “Consuming exotic animals,” AP, 25 April 2004; “Seahorses Gain International Protection on May 15,” US NEWSWIRE, 14 May 2004.
Add a comment
Enter your details and a comment below, then click Submit Comment. We’ll review and publish the best comments.