Thailand, the largest exporter of dried seahorses, has announced that it will temporarily ban exports of the fish. The announcement was made on Sept. 23 in Johannesburg. Thailand exports about three-quarters of all seahorses in international trade.
“We’re pleased they’ve taken it seriously and will get exports under control,” says Amanda Vincent, chair of the Seahorse, Pipefish, and Stickleback Special Group.
Seahorses can only be exported if the country decides that the export won’t pose a threat to the population. But many countries haven’t done a great job of making this determination. That includes Thailand. That is why it’s decided to suspend exports of the fish until it figures out how to make the trade—and its fisheries—sustainable for seahorses.