“We at FRI are focussing on seahorse aquaculture as an alternative to catching seahorses in the wild,” Saupi told Macaranga. “Instead (buyers) can buy domesticated seahorses from the hatchery or aquarium shop.”

The strategy is to develop sustainable seahorse aquaculture as part of ornamental fish aquaculture.

Care needed?

In their 2020 resolution, IUCN had noted they are “troubled that aquaculture ventures for syngnathids often add to pressures on their wild populations”.

Saupi disagreed. “On the contrary, seahorse breeding will help to conserve the wild populations.”

Saupi has asserted that ultimately, the objective is “to have a system in case everything disappears from the wild”.

Many values

Ng’s approach towards seahorse conservation is to promote sustainable use.

As demonstrated by the seahorse’s widespread use in TCM alone, the fish is valuable not just for human health but income for the traditional medicine sector and artisanal fishers.

Such uses – and therefore trade – are driven by culture, said Ng, adding that this was overlooked in the complexities of wildlife trade.

Shark fin soup

She pointed to the widely-known conservation sticking point of shark fin soup consumption by Chinese. Its continued consumption is deeply rooted in Chinese culture.

“Then we (have to) question why the Chinese community values shark fin soup so much?”

To better understand the cultural drivers of seahorse use, Ng is also surveying fishers and the general public.

What makes Malaysia interesting for this is its multiethnic population, with Malays being the largest group in the peninsula and its largest coastal dwellers as well as sizable ethnic Chinese, Indian and Orang Asli communities.

Diverse uses

“We would expect that the usage of seahorses (by different groups) could be quite different,” said Ng.

Responses from her first 500 respondents already indicate this, differing by not just ethnicity but geography.

For example, Malays in the Klang Valley and the south use seahorses to treat the same ailments as TCM, particularly asthma, but in the north, Kedahans use them for lethargy and menstrual cramps.

In another example, wearing seahorses to ward off evil is practised among Malay fishers. At a Johor jetty, an Indian fisher ran home to get a seahorse amulet he used for the same purpose, to show Ng.

Sensitivity in interventions

“Unfortunately, (research on) the cultural aspect of seahorse uses is lacking when in fact, it is really important to inform effective and culturally-relevant or culturally-sensitive conservation and intervention measures,” she said.

This could come into play when suggesting alternatives to seahorses, for example.

Changes seem to be happening already in the centuries-old TCM practice in Malaysia.

Winds of change

“Generally speaking, seahorses are being used less and less (in TCM) and it’s not as easy to source them,” said Lock Fu Fah, a TCM practitioner of 10 years whom Macaranga interviewed.

As a result, Chinese medicine stores are stocking fewer seahorses.

He added that modern physicians, who undergo 5-year university degree training, would seek alternatives. Lock himself prefers animal placentas and fenugreek seeds in place of seahorses.

However, in his view, “clinically, the traditional Chinese physicians use (seahorses) more”. Likewise, members of the public who make their own home-based preparations.

Is it too much?

Lock is concerned that the use of endangered animals like seahorses is unsustainable.

“In Malaysia, when TCM practitioners prescribe medicine, it’s usually for a few days, and each daily dose could contain 5 to 10 seahorses. Traditional TCM practitioners tend to use more. So for a week’s prescription, that would require 70 seahorses.

“(Luckily) there is a good trend in Malaysia (in that) we are using less and less of endangered animals in TCM here.”