10 top tips for saving our seahorses
November 6th, 2009This week an extract of my book Poseidon’s Steed was published in the Guardian, and the book is now available to buy in Europe from various online booksellers. So I thought it was time I blogged about my favourite fish.
One of the questions I get asked a lot is ‘Are seahorses endangered?’. And my answer is, sadly, yes they are.
Seahorses around the world are not only taken from the oceans (both deliberately and accidentally) in scarily high numbers, but they also suffer from the breakdown of their fragile habitats – especially coral reefs, seagrasses and mangroves.
So, what can we do about it? Well, here are my top ten tips for doing your bit to save the seahorses:
1. Don’t buy dead seahorses
This may sound a little odd. Why would you want a dead seahorse?
Because they live inside a coat of bony plates – which take the place of a more conventional suit of fishy scales – seahorses maintain much of their delicate and intricate shape after they die.
Obviously, it’s not quite the same, but much of the seahorses’ beauty lives on after death and there is something to be said for having your very own magical seahorse sitting on your desk (I must admit I have one on my desk, in a little cardboard jewelry box, given to me by a friend who’d had it for years – it must be a long time dead).
Dead seahorse by luv life
But don’t forget it is just the dead body of a fish that once led a quiet, gentle life on the sea floor.
Picking up a dead seahorse from the beach isn’t so bad. But the ones on sale in seaside souvenir shops will almost certainly have been taken live from the sea. So please, don’t buy them. The seahorses will thank you.
2. Make sure your pets were born on a farm
Following the publication of an extract of my book in the Guardian, a few readers have commented that keeping endangered seahorses might not be such a good idea. Have a read of chapter 5 of the book and you’ll find details of modern seahorse farms where seahorses are being bred for the aquarium trade.
Baby seahorses. Photo by pixiesticks23♥ (real busy)
So these days there is no excuse. Anyone who wants to keep these cute animals at home can do so without taking them from a wild.
In the book I also go through some of the pros and cons of keeping seahorses: for you, for seahorses, and for the environment. It’s not up to me to say if people should or shouldn’t keep seahorses – although I can see how lovely it would be to have live, beautiful seahorses in my life every day.
But if you want to keep them, make sure you go to reputable suppliers. Or check out online forums: home aquarists are often giving away spare baby seahorses that were born in their tanks. And this doesn’t just apply to seahorses; always choose captive bred not wild critters for your tank.
3. Don’t buy seahorse medicines
Again, this might sound odd.
Especially to anyone who isn’t familiar with the popular practice in various countries of using seahorses as an ingredient in traditional medicines.
Traditional Chinese medicine texts dating back 500 years prescribed seahorses for all sorts of medical conditions from broken bones and bed wetting, to skin rashes and even a flagging libido. Global demand for seahorse medicines is a driving force behind a growing market in seahorses taken from the sea – at least 25 million of them every year.
Dead seahorses on sale in a medicine shop in Vietnam. Photo by Helen Scales.
Especially worrying is the growing popularity of pre-packaged, off-the-shelf seahorse medicines that use weeny, dark-coloured seahorses that traditional Chinese medicine doctors normally don’t bother with. This means that now any seahorse, no matter what size or colour, can now be used in traditional medicines.
So, if you do use traditional medicines and can afford to buy seahorses (they aren’t cheap), then think about engaging your compassion for the natural world and choose an alternative that doesn’t include endangered species. Because there are lots of alternatives.
4. Protect the seahorses’ world
All sorts of human activities threaten the shallow coastal habitats that seahorses call home including coral reefs, seagrass meadows, mangroves, and estuaries. The list of problems is long and growing and includes pollution, habitat destruction, climate change, and ocean acidification.
And these are all things to worry about and take action over. Especially important is the creation of many more marine reserves or marine protected areas or marine parks or whatever you want to call them. Essentially these are places where the destructive influence of humankind is minimised, by banning fishing, extraction, direct input of pollutants and so on. Some strict marine reserves ban people altogether.
Healthy coral reef. Photo by Jiangang Luo Marine Photobank
There are obvioulsy problems that do not respect the boundaries of marine parks. But we know that protected habitats on the whole are healthier and can cope better when more insidious problems like climate change come along.
Currently less than 1% of the oceans are offered protection from human activities. That number needs to go up – a lot.
You may not have the power to set up your own marine reserve (who does?) but public support of local, regional, national and international campaigns to protect the oceans is vital for action.
5. Stamp out destructive fishing
A major threat to seahorses comes from trawl boats that plough through their habitat. Shrimp trawl boats don’t only catch shrimp but they also scrape up millions of seahorses every year (most seahorses made into traditional medicines are picked out of trawl nets), devastating their fragile habitats in the process. This insensitive, unselective form of fishing has to stop.
Trawl bycatch. Photo from Marine Conservation Cambodia/Marine Photobank
Do your bit by not buying fish that were caught in trawlers. How do you know, you cry? Well, you can ask. More and more these days, supermarkets and restaurants are giving customers information about how their fish is caught. If they don’t say and won’t tell you, then don’t buy.
Check out Monterey Bay Aquarium’s new Super Green List of fish that are good for you and not so bad for the oceans.
6. Take a stand against climate change
We may be releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere above our heads, but an awful lot of it ends up dissolved in the oceans where it’s already starting to wreak a particular brand of marine catastrophe. The oceans are becoming more acidic. And the seahorses – along with so many other marine creatures – are going to get hit hard, mainly because lots of them live in habitats that may soon be gone: coral reefs.
So don’t ignore the goings on in Copenhagan next month, because this really matters. Especially if you like the idea of a world with seahorses and coral reefs and other beautiful extraordinary wildlife.
And we can all do our bit to help. Switch off lights, turn down thermostats, insulate your house, recycle, drive less, fly less, ride your bike more. Get involved in campaigns like 350.org. And think of the seahorses while you do it.
7. Go see the seahorses
Aquariums around the world are home to thousands of seahorses and more of them than ever are bred in captivity and not taken from the wild (many aquariums swap baby seahorses when they have too many, which is often the case for the seahorses species that breed happily in tanks).
Seahorse and shrimp fish in an aquarium. Photo by Cal_gecko
Stop for a few minutes and watch the seahorses doing their seahorse thing, and let your thoughts wander off. When they come back, you’ll have your own personal seahorse moment to carry with you and remind you about these amazing creatures and the wild world they live in.
And have a read of the information boards at the aquarium. You never know what you might learn about the world of seahorses.
There’s a great new Secret Lives of Seahorses exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. But fear not, if you aren’t in California there are seahorse exhibitions all over the place.
8. Go dive for seahorses
If you are an addict of the underwater world like me, then there are heaps of places to go see a seahorse. Well, you can try anyway: they are extremely tricky to spot, with their cunning camouflage and shy nature.
Plus they are naturally rare creatures. You’ll not spot a big herd of them galloping by, but maybe – if you’re lucky – you might catch sight of a solitary seahorse grasping onto a blade of seagrass or coral branch. (Although, a friend of mine has just been diving in Indonesia and swears she saw a sea fan covered in dozens of pygmy seahorses. I’m not sure if she wasn’t just suffering from a case of nitrogen narcosis).
And you don’t have to venture to the tropics to see seahorses. Contrary to popular belief, seahorses inhabit shallow seas along virtually every coastline, tropical and temperate (but they don’t like really cold, icy waters, so don’t bother looking there).
Me and a seahorse. Photo by Steve Trewhella 2009.
A few weeks ago, I saw my first British seahorse off the beach at Studland in Dorset. Yes, that’s right. A British seahorse. There are two species on our fare but chilly shores.
Divers can play an important role in proving that a seahorse is worth more in the water than out. So, go out and support dive operations that care about their local seahorses.
And if you do spy a seahorse, try not to hassle it, poke it, prod it, or blind it with camera flash.
In this picture I am holding onto Troy (or rather, he is holding on to me), but I must point out, I was diving with a licensed seahorse handler (the UK species are now protected). We were conducting a survey, taking down this guy’s vital statistics, and stopped just quickly for an unmissable photo opportunity!
Check out chapter 6 of Poseidons’ Steed for more seahorse spotting tips.
9. Send in your seahorse sightings
Do your bit for seahorse research by getting involved with local seahorse spotting projects. The British Seahorse Survey collects reports of seahorse sightings from across the British Isles – and that goes for live seahorses in the water and dead seahorses too.
Get your seahorse spotting reports in!
10. Spread the seahorse love
And finally… (as they say on the news)
Recycled cashmere seahorse by snaulkter
Raspberry seahorse by snaulkter
I recently discovered these gorgeous cuddly seahorses made from recycled materials by a brilliant artist/designer snaulkter.
They are simply the most adorable – and accurate – depictions of seahorse in fabric that I’ve seen (and trust me, over my years of being a seahorse fanatic friends have given me virtually every beanie baby and cuddly seahorse ever made!). And I love that they are made from reused fabrics. Perfect!
So go get the kids hooked on seahorses, or indulge a grown up’s passion. Each seahorse is a unique critter, and each one is beautiful. Go see for yourself…
So… there you have my top 10 suggestions of how to help save seahorses. I’d love to hear you thoughts of any other things we can do.
Recycled cashmere seahorse by snaulkter
Raspberry seahorse by snaulkter
These are excellent tips, thank you. Conservation, ironically, does not come naturally to many people; and even when it does, there are often conflicts to wade through and compromises to make. Your suggestions should help, and would probably be particularly useful to anyone interested in keeping seahorses as pets. And although most people do not cross paths with the curly-tailed critters on a regular basis, some of your suggestions apply equally well to just about everyone.
Just checked on the IUCN red list and most species are still listed as Data deficient, though of the ones that are not, they are vulnerable or endangered. We must press for proper assessment of the DD species as a priority.
Great list! I am the adoptive mother of one of Snaulkter’s gorgeous Seahorses (actually two plus their babies) and I can vouch for the quality of her work! I also am a long time scuba diver and have had the privilege of seeing these beautiful animals in their natural environments. I also make a beautiful etched seahorse pendant and donate 100% of the proceeds of its sale to Reef.org, one of my favorite environmental causes, just click on my web link to see it.
I was about to complain about the photo of you handling the seahorse when I continued to read and found out you were conducting research.
Keep up the good work!
Your seahorse pendant is gorgeous (is there just one?). And how wonderful that you donate your proceeds to help save the reefs. great stuff!
You should put a photo of it up on the Poseidon’s Steed facebook fan site along with some other seahorse jewelry that’s up there (or I can if you’re not on facebook).
Thanks Stan. I think it’s really important to persuade everyone that what they do, and the choices they make, can make a difference, and that not everything is out of their reach. Including the curly-tailed critters!
Thanks Susannah. that’s a really good point. I don’t know if there are plans in the pipeline for more IUCN Red List assessments of seahorses – but as you quite rightly say, there should be.
These are all fantastic ideas! I’m passing your blog along to everyone I know. Thank you Helen for featuring my crafted seahorses, they seemed to conclude this post quite perfectly. I’m so honored to be a part of the movement to create awareness for these gorgeous, magical creatures. (and all of the other lovelies that inhabit the seas!)
Thanks again!
PS I just noticed the S.O.S.- that’s so clever!! I can’t wait to read your book.
I made a copy of this list. Yea! I’ll send a picture of the necklace leafy sea dragon inspired me to make after a visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Califorina and the Secret Life of Seahorses Exhibit. I found “Poseidon’s
Steed” in the gift shop there. Where can I get those adorable crafted seahorses?
Helen,
I just wanted to say that I heard you on the radio in the Washington, DC area last year and really enjoyed hearing you speak about seahorses. I purchased Poseidon’t Steed and am about halfway through it and enjoying it immensely.
Lynn Barth
Hi Lynn,
Thanks so much for your message and I’m so pleased you’re enjoying Poseidon’s Steed. I had a lot of fun coming to DC for the Diane Rehm show – what a great privilege to talk about these wonderful creatures for a whole hour, and we had so many nice questions from listeners too. I’ve done a few other radio interviews since then, and it seems I’ll never get tired of talking about seahorses!
All best wishes
Helen
Hi Helen,
Do you know if anyone is farming seahorses to supply the chinese medicine trade? I know they do it for aquariums but it seems like the medicine trade is a really big threat to wild populations. I’m researching a TV show about seahorses and am thinking about different angles so any advice would be great. I’ll check out your book too.
Thanks, Jo x
Hi Jo, thanks for your message.
Several decades ago, people in China tried to start farming seahorses for the medicine trade – not as a conservation measure, but to make money. But they soon found it wasn’t economical, and more’s the point, back then, seahorse husbandry was in its infancy, and no-one really had a clue how to keep them happy in captivity. As you’ll see in my book, that’s changing now. Breeding seahorses is becoming much easier but it’s still too expensive to produce seahorses for the medicine trade – farmed seahorses tend to be sold as pets, in the aquarium trade.
Do take a look at chapters 3 and 4 of my book, where I talk more about the medicinal uses of seahorses, and present-day farming. I also consider whether farming would in fact help halt the trade in wild seahorses, or whether it would just stimulate trade overall.
There are heaps of great seahorse stories to tell – and of course they make great TV, being so beautiful!
Do get in touch if there’s anything else I can help with,
All best wishes, Helen
Always fantastic to have the latest information and guides on what is happening and how we may do something constructive. So here is something, why doesn’t the BBC have the ”special” programmes on each animal that is on the danger list, being permanently available on the BBc-iPlayer, and have that held in its’ own library ??
We need to have a barometer on this for the greater public to be in constant touch with the reality of the plight, not that delay fed through research scientists and only having less than 15 minutes of fame?
C’mon – lets make something worthwhile, this ain’t rocket science.
How can I help further?
Ed
Hi Ed. Thanks for your message. You make a very good point about getting hold of the latest info about species endangerment… things do move quickly, and information on the web isn’t always up to date. Maybe the plans for a barometer of life will help with that?
How can we help? Well for starters, by talking about it to as many people as possible. I’ll try to keep posting up to date stuff here on my blog, along with my ideas of things to do. Fundamentally, there are many decisions we all make on a daily basis that can and do make a difference… the food we eat, the transport we take, the clothes we wear, the things we throw away, the energy we use…
Helen
We are constantly fighting against the illegal collection of seahorses,
Please see http://www.marineconservationcambodia for details of how to help.
When we first started researching them in Cambodia they were abundant up to 50+ on a survey dive now we are down to less than 10 per dive.
Please help
Paul