Seahorses - Endangered species

I hope by now I've got your interest in seahorses. You see, I didn't provide extraordinary information here. My main purpose is to raise awareness about seahorses' extinction and to motivate more people take action. So, I would never reach my purpose if people here won't love seahorses as much as I do, that's why I put here facts that I considered would help you fall for that incredible creatures. I hope I chose the right facts, and now let's move on to the issue.

Why seahorses are under thread?

To take action about any issue we should know the causes of it. In seahorses' case there are several causes.

Due to the researchs that've been made 37 million seahorses are taken from shallow, lush coastal waters every year, mostly ensnared by indiscriminate fishing gear. Southeast Asia and West Africa are the main regions exporting them. More than half of captured seahorses end up dead, dried and sold internationally for use in traditional medicines (mostly in China). A small percent are plunked into home aquariums, or sold as kitschy souvenirs. Twelve seahorse species are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, one step down from endangered. An additional 17 species are understudied, and listed as Data deficient, which means we don't know enough about them. Two are endangered.

• Fishing methods to catch seahorses also destroy their habitat. Seahorses aren't the best swimmers and if there is a storm they can suffocate and be brought to the land. That's why many seahorses are trying to stay at the same reef and not to go far away from their home. But among with the seahorse fishing, destroying their habitat also leads to seahorses' death.
• Chinese medicine. Hong Kong is the world's largest trading hub for the dried seahorses. According to Chinese medicine theory, seahorse is nourishing and gives the body more energy.Mixed with herbs and boiled as a tea, dried seahorses are most commonly used to treat asthma and male sexual dysfunction, including impotence and premature ejaculation.
• The accident catch. Most fishermen don’t set out to supply the traditional medicine market. They snare seahorses accidentally, using indiscriminate trawl nets, gill nets and crab traps, while angling for other creatures, said marine scientist Sarah Foster of the conservation group Project Seahorse.
• Illegal seahorses trade. In many places dried seahorses can be sold illegal. And they are bought for many reasons (making tea, etc).
• Shrimp farming. Shrimp farming has destroyed thousands of miles of coastal habitats around the world — particularly mangrove forests, which are nursery grounds to many species of fish, and home to many seahorses.
• Shrimp trawling. Trawlers sweep large nets along the ocean bottom, catching shrimp but also everything else in their path, tearing up the seafloor and delicate marine ecosystems in the process. About 2.2 million seahorses are caught in trawl nets every year.