BILL NUMBER:  S870

 TITLE OF BILL :
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
prohibiting the taking of northern or lined seahorses for commercial
purposes


 PURPOSE :
To prohibit the taking of the northern or lined seashorse (Hippocampus
erectus) for commercial purposes.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :
This bill amends environmental conservation law by adding a new
section 13-0310

 JUSTIFICATION :
An unregulated harvest and pet trade currently exists in seahorses
(Hippocampus erectus). The northern seahorse is traded for use as
aquarium fishes, ornamental displays, curios and traditional Chinese
medicine.

Long Island's south shore estuaries provide habitat to the northern or
lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus) during the warmer months of the
year. The Northern Seahorse can be common in the Great South and
Moriches Bay during the summer where it concentrates in vegetated
              

areas like eelgrass beds, but is apparently absent or very rare in the
winter. It also appears to be absent in other estuaries surrounding
Long Island. It is thought that this species undergoes seasonal
movements in which moves into shallow coastal waters as they warm and
then migrates off-shore during the winter months.

Seahorse behavior is characterized by monogamous pairing and fidelity
to narrow home ranges amongst all species studied. Being slow-moving
or attached to eelgrass with their prehensile tails northern seahorses
can be easily captured by sweeping through eelgrass beds with seine
nets. Seahorses are very difficult to keep alive in captivity. Little
is know about their overall abundance or population trends so it is
unclear whether they can sustain the level of harvest to which they
are currently being subjected. Any harvesting should only be for
scientific or educational purposes.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :
2007-08:  S.7724-A

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :
No fiscal implications.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
become a law.