They are fascinating creatures. And look kind of intelligent the way their eyes study their environment. Truly sickening.
An excerpt:
"A clear picture has emerged about the curative activities of seahorses because researchers have found out that, in addition to their traditional use in treating
erectile dysfunction [6],
[9], seahorses also exhibit antitumor, antiaging, and antifatigue properties and are able to suppress neuroinflammatory responses and collagen release
[8],
[10]. The two-millennium history of TCM guarantees a great demand for seahorses among Chinese people, and dried seahorses are mainly consumed in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan
[7]. The economic development of China, which has increased the demands for TCM, has been catastrophic for wild animals
[11]. It is thus predicted that
seahorses will face increasingly deleterious conditions in the future."
Even though fishery by-catch, especially from
shrimp trawlers, is the principal method of seahorse capture
[12], economic enticement has caused an increasing number of fishermen to employ fishing methods that specifically target seahorses in many developing nations, such as Brazil, India, and the Philippines
[7]. Fishing has had drastic effects on many aspects of seahorses, such as harming individuals, destroying social structure, reducing reproduction, affecting population structure, and devastating habitats
[13]; unfortunately, many of their life history traits, such as
high mate fidelity, small brood sizes, lengthy parental care, and low dispersal ability, make them more susceptible to persistent exploitation
This makes me and plenty of others very unhappy. Remember to spread the word everywhere that you go, the reason these practices are so dangerous for us all and our oceans! How does a poacher go about catching that many Seahorses anyway? What happens to the bi-catch? How much damage do they do to the bottom? Grrrr
Ship Carrying Over 12.3 Million Illegally Caught Seahorses Intercepted Off Coast of Peru