2012. Review of Significant Trade - Cites

Hippocampus spinosissimus
Trade: According to data in the CITES Trade Database, no trade from the Philippines was
reported 2004-2010. Annual reports from the country have not been received for 2008 or
2010.
Prior to the listing of Hippocampus spp. in CITES Appendix II, the Philippines was
considered a major exporter of seahorses (Project Seahorse in litt. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011).
Vincent (1996) estimated annual exports of dried Hippocampus spp. from the Philippines at
3.5- 11 tonnes (1.5-4.7 million specimens) and those of live specimens at more than
0.5 million specimens. Three areas, Palawan (including Busuanga), the central Visayas
(including Bohol, Cebu and Negros) and Mindanao (including Sulu and Tawi Tawi in the
southern Philippines) were reported to be the main sources of specimens (Vincent, 1996).
Management: Fishing, taking and trade of any species included in the CITES Appendices is
prohibited in the Philippines, as per Section 97 of the Fisheries Code (Philippines, 1998;
E. Alesna, pers. comm. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011). However, illegal fishing was reported to
continue, due to lack of enforcement and alternative sources of income (O'Donnell et al.,
2010). The CITES Management Authority of the Philippines noted that no species-specific
monitoring was being conducted (E. Alesna, pers. comm. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011).
A facility established in Handumon, central Philippines, was reported to be breeding
Hippocampus spp. in captivity (Vincent, 1996).
SINGAPORE
Distribution in range State: H. spinosissimus was reported from the Straits of Johor (Choo
and Liew, 2003). Specimens of the species have also been collected from Tanjong Katong and
Siglap [southern Singapore] in 1906 and 1934 (F. K. Lye, pers. comm. to UNEP-WCMC,
2011).
Population trends and status: The species was reported to be known only from 19
specimens collected in the early 1900s, but it was not known whether the species was rare or
extinct (F. K. Lye, pers. comm. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011). It was thought that surveys of
deeper waters of the Singapore Straits could lead to the rediscovery of H. spinosissimus
(F. K. Lye, pers. comm. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011). The species was not included in the 2008
Red Data Book (Ng et al., 2008).
Threats: Habitat loss due to coastal development was considered to be the biggest threat to
Hippocampus spp. in Singapore (F. K. Lye, pers. comm. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011). Over the
period 1998-2001, some traders were reported to have sourced their stock locally (Project
Seahorse in litt. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011).
Trade: According to data in the CITES Trade Database, no trade from Singapore was
reported 2004-2010. Annual reports have been received from Singapore for every year
during this period.
Singapore was reported to have been both an importer and exporter of Hippocampus spp.;
large quantities were offered for sale within the country and traders estimated imports of
dried specimens amounted to more than three tonnes in 1994 (Vincent, 1996).
The CITES Scientific Authority of Singapore (F. K. Lye, pers. comm. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011)
noted that a total of 277 Hippocampus spp., originating in Indonesia and China, had been
found in illegal trade 2008-2010 (F. K. Lye, in litt. to UNEP-WCMC, 2011).
Management: Section 5 of the Wild Animals and Birds Act prohibits the killing, taking or
keeping of any wild animal or bird without a licence (Singapore, 1965b), however, such
licences were reported to not have been issued “for many years” (Heng, 2007). The
Endangered Species Act 2006 prohibits the trade in endangered animals without a permit
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