Media Release | Nov. 15, 2002
Seahorses to Receive International Protection
Thanks to the efforts of Prof. Amanda Vincent, of the University
of British Columbia's Fisheries Centre, and other members
of Project Seahorse, 160 countries around the world will start
controlling the trade in seahorses to ensure their continued
survival in the wild, beginning in mid-2004.
The 160 countries making up the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species in Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
voted Nov. 13 in Santiago, Chile to list all 32 species of
seahorses on Appendix II of the Convention which addresses
species whose trade must be controlled in order to ensure
their survival.
"Seahorses often set precedent. After all, only the
male seahorse gets pregnant," said Vincent, director
of Project Seahorse. "This listing is a call to action.
The challenge now is for countries to regulate the vast international
trade so well that seahorse populations begin to recover.
Such an ambitious endeavour will require all possible collaborations.
The CITES decision certainly marks a good beginning for the
future of the world's seahorses."
Of all wildlife trade issues under international conservation
management, seahorses will represent the greatest volume when
the listing takes effect in 2004, with more than 25 million
seahorses a year moving among at least 75 nations. They are
the first fully marine fish species of commercial importance
to receive this type of protection.
Traditional Chinese medicine accounts for the largest consumption
of seahorses. They are also fished for the aquarium and curiosity
trades. These direct threats, along with incidental catch
by trawlers and habitat destruction, have led to severe population
declines in many regions. Out of 32 species of seahorses,
20 appear on the 2002 World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red
List of Threatened Species.
"We look forward to working with traditional medicine
traders and practitioners to secure the long-term availability
of seahorses for health care. Our excellent partnership in
Hong Kong provides one example of just how well conservationists
and traditional medicine communities can co-operate,"
Vincent said.
The CITES listing is the result of 10 years of work by Project
Seahorse and Vincent, its co-founder and director. The international
marine conservation organization carried out the first field
surveys and analyses of the seahorse trade, established the
first conservation programs and produced the identification
guide that helped convince CITES that trade management for
seahorses would be viable. Vincent also chaired the CITES
working group that recommended listing on Appendix II.
"As we work to secure the future of wild seahorse populations,
we must take into account the needs and aspirations of small
scale dependent fishers. Without seahorses, they would be
forced to exploit another vulnerable resource, potentially
with more grave ecological and economic consequences,"
said Vincent.
To reflect this concern for the dependent fishers the CITES
listing has been deferred for 18 months, the longest delay
ever given to a listing implementation, to enable governments
to ensure good implementation that is respectful of the fishers
and traders.
A backgrounder on Project
Seahorse is also available.
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