IUCN SSC Seahorse, Pipefish and Seadragon Specialist Group 2019 Report Amanda Vincent Chair Mission statement Targets for the 2017-2020 quadrennium Amanda Vincent (1) To promote the long-term conservation of Assess the world’s Syngnathiform fishes (seahorses, Red List: (1) monitor and evaluate priority Red List Authority Coordinator pipefishes, seadragons) and their near rela- species (redo Red List assessments); (2) redo Riley Pollom (2) tives through the illumination and alleviation Red List assessments for priority Data Deficient of threats to wild populations and their ocean species. habitat. Location/Affiliation Research activities: (1) marshal obscure/grey (1) Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, The information on Data Deficient species; (2) University of British Columbia, Canada Projected impact for the 2017-2020 promote research agenda for all species; (3) (2) Department of Biological Sciences, Simon quadrennium collate new data and knowledge. Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada The Seahorse, Pipefish and Seadragon Specialist Plan Group (SPS SG) will seize these four years to Planning: (1) priority action statement for Number of members understand and help reduce pressures on Hippocampus capensis (Knysna Seahorse; 28 syngnathids in at least three geographic areas – Endangered – South Africa); (2) priority action Southeast Asia, South Africa and Atlantic South statement for Hippocampus whitei (White’s Social networks America – that are home to species of particular Seahorse; Endangered – Australia); (3) priority Facebook: Seahorse, Pipefish and Seadragon conservation concern. We will do this through action statement for Syngnathus watermeyeri Specialist Group integrated research, management support (Estuarine Pipefish; Critically Endangered – Instagram: IUCNSeahorse and policy development. We plan a special South Africa); (4) priority action statement for Twitter: @IUCNSeahorse effort to urge reduction in perverse incentives Microphis pleurostictus (Endangered – Philip- Website: www.iucn-seahorse.org (such as fuel subsidies) and to foster enhanced pines); (5) priority action statements for Vulner- enforcement of existing laws. We hope other able species; (6) monitoring and evaluation Specialist Groups will join us in promoting such for Southeast Asian marine environments; (7) changes, which would be of broad benefit. At determine priority Data Deficient species. the same time, we will be making a real effort Policy: (1) select priority regions in which to to reduce the number of our species that are promote greater implementation of rules and assessed as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List laws that affect syngnathids; (2) create scoping by expanding our knowledge base. These four document on implementation for most rele- years will further see us grow our membership, vant rules and laws that affect syngnathids in with respect for diversity of sex, ethnic back- the following regions: Southeast Asian marine, ground, taxonomic focus and technical experi- South African estuarine, India and South- ence. We are particularly keen to engage youth east Asian freshwater, and Brazil and Argen- and non-scientists to add to our effectiveness. tina marine; (3) disseminate scoping document Using all members, we plan to raise the profile to resource managers and policy makers; (4) of our species to help grow the constituency of complete matrix on perverse incentives that their supporters. affect syngnathids in Southeast Asian marine environments; (5) complete scoping document on perverse incentives for Southeast Asian marine environments. SPS SG member Louw Claassens and Johan Wasserman in the field looking for the Critically Endangered Estuarine pipefish in the Bushmans estuary, South Africa Photo: Jason Boswell Network Activities and results 2019 vi. SPS SG members published a paper on describing a new species of Pygmy seahorse, Capacity building: mentor next generation Assess leaders/succession planning. Hippocampus japapigu, in Japan. Red List Membership: grow the SPS SG membership in vii. An SPS SG member described a new i. Draft assessments were produced for the strategic ways by taxon, region, discipline, etc. species of Pipefish in Argentina, Leptonotus priority Data Deficient species, Hippocampus vincentae, named after our Chair, Amanda Proposal development and funding: source hippocampus (Short-snouted Seahorse) and H. Vincent. funding for SPS SG programme officer and guttulatus (Long-snouted Seahorse). (KSR #1, 32) meetings. viii. We embarked on a seahorse trade survey Research activities Synergy: (1) collaborate with aquariums; (2) in the Philippines with colleagues from Zoolog- i. Obscure and grey information were collated collaborate with multiplier organisations; (3) ical Society of London – Philippines to docu- to re-assess two Data Deficient species, tighten links with other IUCN units; (4) develop ment changes in the catch and trade of Hippocampus hippocampus and H. guttulatus. strategic partnerships/synergies with multiplier seahorse post-CITES. Results were documented (KSR #1, 32) organisations. in a University of British Columbia Fisheries ii. We promoted research agendas for seven Centre Research Report and were communi- Technical advice: develop urgent action species in four countries by connecting cated to the Philippines Government to affect response capacity. Specialist Group members with iSeahorse and guide policy for the sustainable manage- Communicate Ambassadors and local conservation groups to ment of seahorse catch and trade in the Communication: (1) catalyse campaign to engage in seahorse monitoring and conserva- Philippines. effect change in Southeast Asian marine envi- tion outreach in Greece, Mexico, Mozambique Plan ronments; (2) develop outreach capacity for and Portugal. (KSR #32) Planning syngnathid conservation issues; (3) create iii. Continued monitoring and focused research i. The priority action statement for H. whitei synopsis of issues for donors, policy makers continues for our Endangered seahorse species, was the basis for and aided in the creation of a and the public; (4) deploy social media H. capensis and H. whitei in South Africa and New South Wales Department of Primary Indus- campaign; (5) create a taking action toolkit; (6) Australia, respectively. (KSR #32) create a set of communication tools for the SPS tries Priorities Action Statement, promoting the iv. The research agenda was enhanced for the SG. recovery of this species in New South Wales, Critically Endangered Syngnathus watermeyeri Australia. (KSR #15) Scientific meetings: (1) catalyse joint meeting in South Africa through funds received by the ii. We supported, provided endorsement and with Specialist Groups for other marine taxa; (2) National Geographic Conservation Grant. helped propel an SPS SG member to secure hold annual meetings of the SPS SG. (KSR #32) funds from the National Geographic Society v. We collated new survey and population data Conservation Grant to conduct research on from ongoing research with Specialist Group the Critically Endangered Estuarine Pipefish, members through collaborations with small Syngnathus watermeyeri, in South Africa. NGOs and local interest groups in South Africa, (KSR #15) Mozambique, Tanzania, Portugal and Greece. (KSR #12) Hippocampus guttulatus in the Ria Formosa lagoon, Portugal Photo: Miguel Correia iii. An expert in the region has been identified vi. We developed and submitted an IUCN Group, Climate Change Specialist Group, and is ready to conduct preliminary surveys World Conservation Congress (WCC) motion Snapper, Seabream and Grunt Specialist Group, and population assessments of the Endangered to be voted on at the IUCN WCC: Motion 111 Shark Specialist Group and others during the Microphis pleurostictus. This is dependent on – Conservation of seahorses, pipefishes and IUCN SSC Steering Committee meeting, through funding. (KSR #15) seadragons (family Syngnathidae). (KSR #26) ocean themed workshop/discussion for SSC Policy Network leaders in Abu Dhabi in October 2019. (KSR #29) i. We have embarked on an ambitious plan to Capacity building vii. We supported and provided endorsement for an SPS SG member to secure funds from extend the creation of a scoping document on i. Dr Sarah Foster was appointed as the Global the National Geographic Society Conservation implementation to include all relevant rules Trade Officer and Dr Paula Carlson as the focal Grant to conduct research on the Critically and laws that affect syngnathids at the national point for ex situ expertise for the IUCN SSC Endangered Estuarine Pipefish, Syngnathus level in all countries where syngnathids occur Seahorse, Pipefish and Seadragon Specialist watermeyeri, in South Africa. through an IUCN Internal Grant. (KSR #26) Group. (KSR #17) viii. We drafted and submitted an IUCN WCC ii. We performed literature reviews to gather all Synergy available information on perverse subsidies that Motion co-sponsored by 16 organisations i. Specialist Group members collaborated with affect syngnathids in eighteen countries (Argen- (NGOs and government agencies) from 10 coun- SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium on a new conser- tina, Brazil, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, tries around the world: Motion 111 – Conserva- vation programme to breed the Endangered Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Malaysia, tion of seahorses, pipefishes and seadragons Hippocampus whitei (in a closed system), Mexico, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Peru, Philippines, (family Syngnathidae). tag, release, and monitor in Sydney Harbour, South Africa, Thailand, Uruguay,