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Put simply, human beings. Around 25 million seahorses are consumed globally each year.
Out of this, by far the largest proportion is destined for the Traditional Chinese Medicine market (TCM) with 16 million individuals or 45 tons being consumed by Asia alone. Seahorses have been used for over 600 years by a quarter of the world’s population as medicine for human ailments ranging from impotence to heart disease.
Other threats include the dried souvenirs trade, and the wild-caught aquarium trade, in addition to human development and pollution of their habitats.
You can help by only purchasing captive bred seahorses. Captive breds eat frozen foods, have smaller territories and are conditioned to life in aquaria, meaning they will live longer and don’t contribute to the lessening of the wild populations. A list of worldwide breeders can be found in the library at Seahorse.org.
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