Dwarf seahorses being petitioned to be endangered

[cynster]

I've been looking around but I can't really find a clear answer.

What happens if the dwarf seahorse becomes endangered? Can we keep our captive seahorses under a permit? Where would we get such a permit? If we can't get a permit, what do we have to do?

I decided to ask here, because this may have happened with other seahorses being endangered, and I wonder what the hobbyists had to do to be sure they were doing the legally correct thing if they already owned them.

 

[RyanTurner]

I've been looking around but I can't really find a clear answer.

What happens if the dwarf seahorse becomes endangered? Can we keep our captive seahorses under a permit? Where would we get such a permit? If we can't get a permit, what do we have to do?

I decided to ask here, because this may have happened with other seahorses being endangered, and I wonder what the hobbyists had to do to be sure they were doing the legally correct thing if they already owned them.

They may be talking about the pygmy seahorses from the pacific.

 

[timinnl]

Nope. There is a petition in Florida asking for them to be declare endanger. http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species...rsePetition.pdf

 

[RyanTurner]

O wow. That's crazy. You'd think with the way they breed, they'd never have a population decline.

 

[cynster]

I tried calling our wildlife district in my state but they are closed now. I want to see if I can get some kind of permit to keep them since I am propagating them - so if they ever are declared endangered I will already have a permit to keep them.

 

[rayjay]

I can't see any worry as what is already in the system should not be affected.
Other seahorses have been declared endangered and they can still be raised and sold from prior broodstock.
Worry if someone has a petition going to may it illegal to KEEP seahorses in captivity in your home.

 

[cynster]

Ohhh okay! Thank you for clearing that up for me

 

[wdt2000]

"I think" you would need a permit to keep them in Florida because they are native. You would also need a Federal Interstate Commerce permit ($100) if you moved them across any state line in the USA. My understanding is this only applies to endangered species native to the US. If they are not native and they are already here through legal channels you can do as you wish.

 

[cynster]

Okay That's good. I had this horror image of the police coming in, taking them, and either just throwing them in the ocean or keeping them on some evidence shelf somewhere killing them :S Very glad it does not work that way lol

 

[scapes]

Nope. There is a petition in Florida asking for them to be declare endanger. http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species...rsePetition.pdf

it says this document is no longer available

 

[wdt2000]

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/fish/dwarf_seahorse/index.html