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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
http://hdl.handle.net/1834/816
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| Title: | Assessing East African trade in seahorse species as a basis for conservation under international controls |
| Authors: | Vincent, A.C.J.
McPherson, J.M. |
| ASFA Terms: | Aquatic animals |
| Issue Date: | 2004 |
| Publisher: | Wiley |
| Citation: | Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 14 (5), p. 521-538 |
| Abstract: | 1. Seahorses (Hippocampus spp.), many of which are listed as Vulnerable or Endangered on the
IUCN Red List, are traded worldwide as souvenirs, aquarium fish and, primarily, for use in
traditional medicines. Given concern over the sustainability of this trade, the genus was added to
Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora (CITES) in May 2004.
2. This paper reports findings of the first ever survey of seahorse trade in Africa, conducted in
Kenya and Tanzania in May and June 2000.
3. Seahorse trade in Kenya was found to be negligible, with approximately 10 live seahorses
exported as aquarium fish annually. Until 1998, however, Kenya may have imported somewhere
from 1 to 2.3 t of dried seahorses annually from Tanzania for re-export to Asian medicine markets.
Seahorse trade in Tanzania remained substantial, with at least 630–930 kg of dried seahorse exported
directly to Asia each year.
4. Accounts of declines in seahorse availability and seahorse size, although few in number, could
be early warning signs that wild populations are suffering, at least locally. Close monitoring of future
developments in the trade will be essential to allow for timely conservation action as and when
necessary, and would contribute to our understanding of the ecological and economical implications
of small-scale, non-food fisheries.
Copyright # 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/1834/816 |
| ISSN: | 1099-0755 |
| Appears in Collections: | Miscellaneous
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