Over the past decade, nearly five million smuggled seahorses, valued at €18.5 million, have been seized, highlighting the illegal trade's scale. A study revealed that seahorses are often trafficked for traditional medicine, primarily in Asia, but also increasingly in Europe and Latin America. The trade is difficult to regulate, with weak enforcement allowing traffickers to exploit loopholes. Seahorses are part of a broader wildlife crime economy, affecting marine biodiversity and coastal communities. Effective enforcement and sustainable alternatives are needed to protect seahorse populations. Teljes cikk (Euronews.com)