CITES for seahorses - Introduction

Seahorses were listed on the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Appendix II in 2002, with implementation as of May 2004. All species of seahorse (Hippocampus spp.) are listed, which means trade can continue but must be managed to ensure it is not detrimental to wild populations, that it is legally sourced, and it must be monitored.

We developed this toolkit to help CITES Authorities implement the Appendix II listing of seahorses and overcome any challenges to ensuring that wild seahorses populations are sustainable.

This toolkit includes the below, and more…

Check back regularly for new versions, and contact us at iucn@projectseahorse.org with any suggestions for improvement. 


Banner image of Spotted seahorse (H. kuda) by Bruno van Saen / Guylian Seahorses of the World
[Updated 20 Nov 2023]