2012. Review of Significant Trade - Cites

Hippocampus kuda
(1999a; 2004), however no more detailed distribution information could be located.
Population trends and status: No information on the population status of the species in
Tonga could be located. The Aquaculture Research & Inshore Fisheries of Tonga
(P. Ngaluafe pers. comm. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011) confirmed that no baseline studies on the
species had been conducted and that it was unclear which species of Hippocampus occurred
in Tonga.
Threats: No information was located.
Trade: No direct trade from Tonga was reported 2004-2010 according to data in the CITES
Trade Database. The re-export of six live, wild-sourced specimens was reported by the
United States to Canada in 2008 for commercial purposes. Tonga is not a Party to CITES and
therefore has not submitted any annual reports.
Management: The use of explosives or poison is prohibited (Fisheries Act 1989) and licences
are required for the take of aquarium fish (Fisheries Conservation and Management
Regulations 1994). Trade is monitored in Tonga, however this species was noted to not be
commercially harvested, nor were any licences issued (P. Ngaluafe pers. comm. to UNEP-
WCMC, 2011). However the species was reported to not be legally protected in Tonga
(P. Ngaluafe pers. comm. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011).
Ngaluafe (pers. comm. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011) noted that a Hawaiian company had recently
showed interest in initiating an aquaculture facility on Tonga to breed Hippocampus spp.
VIET NAM
Distribution in range State: H. kuda was reported to occur along the coastline, from north to
south Viet Nam (T. M. Vuong, in litt. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011), from Da Nang (north), Ba Ria-
Vung Tau [province] to Kien Giang [province] (south-western Viet Nam), including Con
Dao [island] district (Institute for Science and Technology of Vietnam, 2007).
Population trends and status: Landings of Hippocampus spp. in Viet Nam showed
geographic variations, with fewer caught in the north of Viet Nam than in the south,
although it was unclear whether this was due to variations in abundance or fishing method
used (Giles et al., 2006). Observed by-catch in landings of the Cua Be fishing fleet (Central
Coast) between 1996 and 2000, consisted of 4 per cent H. kuda; this area was reported to be a
major source for Hippocampus specimens (Meeuwig et al., 2006).
H. kuda was categorised as Endangered in the Viet Nam Red Data Book (Institute for Science
and Technology of Vietnam, 2007) and as Endangered in the “list of endangered aquatic
species in Vietnam which need protection, reproduction and development” (Decision No.
82/2008/QD-BNN) issued by the Ministry of Agriculture (T. M. Vuong, pers. comm. to
CITES Secretariat, 2011). The H. kuda population was reported to have declined significantly
(T. M. Vuong, in litt. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011), with further reductions at a rate of 20 per cent
per year expected and the species was therefore considered to be in risk of depletion in the
near future (Institute for Science and Technology of Vietnam, 2007). As Hippocampus spp. in
Viet Nam was reported to be mainly obtained though by-catch, declines in numbers were
thought to reflect general fish declines (Vincent, 1996).
Threats: The Vietnamese CITES Management Authority (T. M. Vuong, in litt. to UNEP-
WCMC, 2011) listed habitat destruction, pollution, climate change and by-catch as major
threats, with pressure through over-harvest for traditional medicine considered high.
Non-selective trawling was considered to pose the greatest threat to Hippocampus spp. in
Viet Nam, rather than trade, although H. kuda was noted to be one of the most widely
encountered species in trade (Giles et al., 2006). Hippocampus spp. by-catch was estimated at
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