Charity Gets e-Bay Ban On Seahorse Trade

The Devon-based Seahorse Trust has struck a blow against trading in both living and dead seahorses through e-Bay.

The charity's persuaded the internet shopping giant to ban all sales of seahorses on all its EU sites.

Around half a million of the threatened creatures were being traded  by sellers based all around the world.  They were being sold either alive or as bizarre curios. They'd been found entombed in paperweights, dried for brooches and in hideous baskets of dried seahorses.

The charity, which is based on the Escot estate near Honiton, is now trying to get e-Bay to impose a similar ban on sites in the USA.

But the threat to seahorses is still very real.  Around 150 million thought to be fuelling the traditional medicine trade in China.

Neil Garrick-Maidment fears the remarkable creature could become extinct in 20 to 30 years.

He's been talking to our reporter Wendy Buckingham  CLICK HERE 

The Seahorse Trust is part-funded by the Dorset-based Sea Life centre network.

www.theseahorsetrust.org