Courtesy of GMA Channel 7. A documentary on illegal trading of seahorses from Danajon Bank (in between Cebu and Bohol)and to some parts of Mindanao. According to the report, the Philippines ranked no. 4 top exporter of seahorses in the world, a species dubbed threatened under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species or CITES
The price of being quirky
By Marifel T. Moyano
Communication and Information Division, Haribon Foundation
Image courtesy of Project Seahorse
WHEN Mother Nature dispersed “unique” genes, seahorses swam their way at the forefront—a horse-like head, monkey-like tail, kangaroo-like pouch, and camouflage traits of a chameleon. It doesn’t stop there. Only male seahorses become pregnant and in many species remain faithfully monogamous with their pair. Sadly, curiosity of these quirky fishes has created a global market in itself—as aquarium pets and use as traditional medicines. What traders and fishermen fail to realize is that these fishes are important predators on benthic organisms, so removing them may well disrupt ecosystems. Seahorse populations should be preserved because they can help advance marine conservation, serving as excellent flagship species for a wide range of marine conservation issues.
Seahorse ecology and behavior make them very vulnerable to over-exploitation. Although seahorses appear to be the fusion of different animals, they are fish nonetheless. All seahorses belong to the genus Hippocampus, from the Greek words for horse (hippos) and sea monster (campus). If one stretches a seahorse and lies it stretched out on its stomach, it is easy to see that they really are fish. Instead of scales, seahorses have thin skin stretched over a series of bony plates that are visible as rings around the trunk. A group of spines on the top of the head is referred to as the coronet, and looks like a crown.
Seahorses are marine species, generally living among seagrass beds, mangrove roots and coral reefs, in shallow temperate and tropical waters. Seahorses swim using the propulsive force of the quickly oscillating dorsal fin (a subset of fins found most other adult fish), and use their tinier or pectoral fins on either side of the body for steering and stability. They are more adapted to maneuverability than speed, and therefore rely more on camouflage to avoid detection from predators than speed for escape. Seahorses are masters of camouflage, changing color and growing skin filaments to blend in with their surroundings. Short-term color changes may also occur during courtship displays and daily greetings. Male and female seahorses can be told apart by the presence of a brood pouch on the male.
Seahorses have no stomach or teeth, instead they suck their prey in through a tubular snout (a fused jaw) and pass it through an inefficient digestive system. They are voracious predators, relying entirely on live, moving food. Each eye moves independently, allowing the seahorse to maximize its search area. They will ingest anything small enough to fit into the mouth—mostly small crustaceans such as amphipods, but also fish fry and other invertebrates.
Young seahorses are the most vulnerable to being eaten by other fish while adult seahorses are presumed to have few predators due to excellent camouflage, a sedentary lifestyle and unappetizing bony plates and spines.
For some populations of seahorses human beings are the greatest predator. According to Project Seahorse, is an interdisciplinary and international organization committed to conserving and managing seahorses, their relatives and their habitats while respecting human needs—recounts that they are exploited for use as traditional medicines, aquarium fishes, curios (souvenirs), and tonic foods. In the 2002 World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red list of Threatened Species, nine of the 33 seahorse species are listed as Vulnerable, with one listed as Endangered. The other 23 are listed as Data Deficient, demonstrating the lack of knowledge of seahorse biology.
The international trade in seahorses is unbelievably rampant. Project Seahorse reports that the total global consumption of seahorses was at least 25 million seahorses in 2001 (more than 70 metric tons). Although the largest users are in Asia, many nations outside Asia also import dried seahorses for medicines and curios. At least 77 nations and territories around the world are involved in buying and selling seahorses, from Ecuador to Italy to Mozambique to the USA. The largest known net importers are China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The largest known exporters are Thailand, Vietnam, India and the Philippines. The centers of seahorse trade in the Philippines include the provinces of Manila and Palawan in Luzon, Cebu and Bohol in the Visayas, and Zamboanga and Jolo in Mindanao.
The majority of landed seahorses go to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and its derivatives (e.g., Japanese and Korean traditional medicines). TCM is recognized by the World Health Organization as a viable health-care option, and has a global constituency. Seahorses are used to treat a range of conditions, including respiratory disorders such as asthma, impotence and other sexual dysfunctions, and general lethargy and pain. Traditional Jamu medicine in Indonesia and folk medicine in the Philippines also make use of seahorses.
Besides being traded for TCM, wild-caught seahorses are sold in aquariums as pets, while dead seahorses are incorporated into jewelry, key chains, paperweights, and other crafts.
The combination of direct catch, incidental catch in trawl nets (bycatch), and habitat destruction has placed seahorse populations at risk. According to Project Seahorse, seahorse populations declined by as much as 70 percent between 1985 and 1995. In the Philippines, seahorse over-consumption has prompted the implementation of various conservation and management activities: research on seashores biology; adjustment of fishing practices; development of aquaculture techniques; information dissemination; capacity building for local people as stewards of their resources; and promotion of stakeholder management efforts.
The increasing scarcity of seahorses today is appalling. If we continue overexploiting seahorses to serve our monetary needs and curiosity fix, we should not be at all shock by the results, as witnessed by Camilo Socias, a seahorse fisherman in Bohol, “Times have changed, seahorses are now more difficult to catch. Before a single night’s catch yields 80 seahorses, these days I can only collect about 20, sometimes only 5, or even none.”
Surely, the value and beauty of seahorses preserved in their natural habitat could be described in more than a hundred words, and settling for “none” just doesn’t cut it.
Haribon and Project Seahorse share the same mission in securing habitats for marine organisms. For more information or inquiries you may e-mail communication@haribon.org.ph or foundation@projectseahorse.org.ph
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