User:Floydk

Seahorses (and the live fish trade) The seahorse is in high demand around the globe. They are becoming ever more popular for aquariums and medicine. Nearly 40 countries are actively involved in the trade. “Large seahorses are selling for up to $550 in Hong Kong” (Geocites). In Hong Kong seahorses are imported live usually caught with cyanide; although, harvesting by net is becoming more prevalent. The Chinese consume the animals for their use in traditional medicine. The seahorse is also becoming excessively more popular in the aquarium fish trade where Westerners dominate the market. It is estimated that about 20 million are harvested annually from the Philippines. “It is also estimated that populations are declining at a rate between 25 and 50 percent” (PBS). This is mainly caused by habitat destruction, cyanide and blast fishing in coral reefs, and increased consumption. However, conservation efforts are on the rise and becoming increasingly effective. A strategy now under way is to pay fishermen for juvenile seahorses caught in the reef, then the seahorses are kept in a controlled environment, by a conservation group, long enough for them to reproduce and then sold back to the fishermen. This method of conservation has become very effective because it pays the fishermen more and encourages sustainable harvesting.

Sources

[www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/seahorse/vincent.html] [www.geocities.com/rainforest/canopy/7897/page2.html ]