Ship transporting 12.3 million illegally caught seahorses worth more than $6million is intercepted on its way to Asia by Peruvian coast guard
- Authorities in Peru intercepted a vessel transporting 12.3 million seahorses on Monday that were illegally extracted from the Pacific Ocean
- The boat was stopped by a Peruvian Coast Guard fleet about 200 miles west of Callao, the South American nation’s main seafood port
- The seahorses are worth more than $6 million and were going to be sold in Asia
- The marine fish is viewed as a primary source of Chinese traditional medicine to cure infertility, baldness, asthma and arthritis
- Agents arrested the ship’s crew of three Peruvian males and a Venezuelan man
- Fishing, transportation and commercialization of seahorses has been prohibited in Peru since August 2004
A ship containing 12.3 million illegally caught seahorses that was bound for Asia has been seized by Peruvian authorities.
A Coast Guard ship detected the vessel ‘Adonay’ almost 200 miles off the seaside city of Callao on Monday before it was steered back to Perú’s main seafood port.
Officials said that the seahorses were illegally taken from the Pacific Ocean waters and packed into 55 boxes that weighed more than 2,300 pounds.
The small marine fish have a value of more than $6 million and were expected to be sold in the international market.
Authorities in Perú seized over 12.4 million seahorses on a fishing vessel on Monday that were being transported to Asia
Seahorses were hidden in 55 boxes and had a value of $6 million in the international market
Investigators said the seahorses were illegally extracted from the Pacific Ocean waters off the Peruvian coast
Investigators said seahorses are viewed as a prime source of traditional Chinese medicine and are thought to play a large role in curing infertility, baldness, asthma and arthritis.
The Peruvian National Police said it was closely monitoring the prohibited extraction of the seahorses for a couple of days before they closed it on vessel, which was manned by a crew of four people.
A member of the Peruvian National Police inspects Monday’s shocking discovery of more than 12.3 million seahorses that were found aboard a fishing vessel
Fishing, transportation and commercialization of seahorses has been prohibited by the South American nation since August 2004
Authorities arrested the vessels crew which was made up of three Peruvian men and a Venezuelan male. Their identities were not publicly released
Authorities arrested three Peruvian men and a male Venezuelan national. Their identities were not publicly released.
The suspects face between three to five years in prison, if found guilty.
Fishing, transportation and commercialization of seahorses has been prohibited in Peru since August 2004.
Seahorses that showed signs of dehydration and dryness were expected to be donated to local universities and research groups.
The fishing boat was intercepted about 200 miles off Perú on Monday following several days of investigation
Seahorses are viewed as a primary source of Chinese traditional medicine
The confiscated seahorses that showed signs of dehydration and dryness will be donated to local universities and research groups
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