Did you know that seahorses are one of the first commercially valuable marine species to be managed by the world’s largest wildlife treaty, CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species)? A number of the world’s species of seahorses are threatened because of overfishing and unsustainable trade. 15-20 million Seahorses are traded around the world every year.
To help countries keep their seahorse trade sustainable, Project Seahorse and TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network of WWF and IUCN-The World Conservation Union, have produced a guide for customs agents and others to help identify the different species of seahorses in trade. To learn more head to Project Seahorse.