Peruvian authorities have captured a ship that was carrying a massive illicit haul: more than 12.3 million illegally caught seahorses worth more than $6 million that was destined for Asian markets.
The vessel called “Adonay” was intercepted by Peruvian marines nearly 200 miles off the Pacific coastal city of Callao Monday, according to El Comercio.
When authorities boarded the ship, they discovered 55 boxes full of the dehydrated bodies of the tiny marine creatures in a load that weighed more than 2,300 pounds.
The four crew members detained, three Peruvians and one Venezuelan, are facing anywhere from three to five years in prison.
According to The Mind Unleashed, seahorses are a protected species in the South American nation. As a result, fishing, transporting, and engaging in the trade of seahorses has been illegal in Peru since 2004.
Out of the estimated 55 seahorse species, eleven are classified as “Vulnerable” and “Endangered” under the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.
The illegal extraction of seahorses from fragile marine zones does great harm not only to the threatened species but also places high pressure on sensitive marine habitats in general.
Since China and Vietnam had introduced market reforms in the late '80s, the demand for marine specimens including seahorses and sharks boomed as fishers sought their fortunes in seas across the globe, depleting marine populations from West Africa to Southeast Asia.
As CNN reported, abundant amounts of dried seahorses can be found in the markets of Hong Kong, where the small fish is considered to have “Viagra-like” powers.
The Peruvian National Police had been closely monitoring the extraction of the seahorses from coastal waters for days before moving to detain the vessel and its contents.
The authorities announced that they'll donate the captured seahorses to research groups and local universities.
Used as a natural Viagra in Chinese medicine, #seahorse numbers are declining https://t.co/SHy7w7vA63 pic.twitter.com/oV3lhB1KW7
— Environmental Investigation Agency (@EIA_News) June 8, 2019
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