Prohibits the commercial taking of northern or lined seahorses.

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S2324-2011 Actions

• Jun 6, 2011: SUBSTITUTED BY A2439
• May 23, 2011: ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
• May 18, 2011: 2ND REPORT CAL.
• May 17, 2011: 1ST REPORT CAL.680
• Jan 18, 2011: REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

S2324-2011 Meetings

Environmental Conservation: May 17, 2011

S2324-2011 Calendars

Active List: Jun 6, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 18, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 23, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 24, 2011 , Floor Calendar: May 25, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Jun 1, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Jun 2, 2011 , Floor Calendar: Jun 6, 2011

S2324-2011 Votes

S2324-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S2324

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 northern or lined seahorse
(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
known 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:

2009-10: S.870/A.2581
2008:    S.7724-A/A.10702A.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:


No fiscal implications.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

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

S2324-2011 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

      S. 2324                                                  A. 2439

                         2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                        SENATE - ASSEMBLY

                              January 18, 2011
                                 ___________

  IN SENATE -- Introduced by Sen. LAVALLE -- read twice and ordered print-
    ed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental
    Conservation

  IN  ASSEMBLY  --  Introduced  by  M.  of A. ENGLEBRIGHT -- read once and
    referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation

  AN ACT to amend the  environmental  conservation  law,  in  relation  to
    prohibiting  the  taking of northern or lined seahorses for commercial
    purposes

    THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section  1.  The environmental conservation law is amended by adding a
  new section 13-0310 to read as follows:

  S 13-0310. NORTHERN OR LINED SEAHORSES; PROHIBITED ACTS.
    1. NO PERSON SHALL TAKE ANY NORTHERN OR  LINED  SEAHORSE  (HIPPOCAMPUS
  ERECTUS) FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES.
    2.  THE  PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY
  TO THE TAKING  OF  SEAHORSES  FOR  SCIENTIFIC  OR  EDUCATIONAL  PURPOSES
  INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PUBLIC OR NOT-FOR-PROFIT ZOOS AND AQUARI-
  UMS, AS DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
    S  2.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
  have become a law.




   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD07380-01-1