Seahorses may be heading toward decline

[ensho]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-seahorses-decline-110311,0,4246287.story?track=rss


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The world's four dozen or so species of seahorse have had a rough time of the last few decades, as coastal development, international trade and commercial fishing took their toll.

The Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group, has petitioned the federal government to protect one of Florida's three seahorses, the inch-long dwarf, as the first seahorse on the endangered species list. The center blamed the BP oil spill, commercial collection for the aquarium trade in South Florida, demand in China for traditional medicine and the destruction of sea grass habitat.

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The state will be conducting a review of its entire aquarium fishery next year, including seahorses, she said.

Jamie Green, a bait shrimp fisherman who works from Biscayne Bay to Marathon, said he has seen a drop in the seahorses he hauls up in his nets.
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everything in the ocean is in decline

[TwilightGardener]

1. Well, stop collecting them to languish in a tank. Stop selling them for any purpose.

More wasteful human arrogance.