A challenge of its own - regulating the commercial use of sea snakes (Hydrophiidae)

Among the >70 sea snake species, the majority are distributed in the Indo-West Pacific. In South, Southeast and East Asia, bycatch of fishing practices exploited regional populations of various sea snake species for decades, and it is assumed that bycatch was originally unintentional, but over time shifted to an opportunistic commercial resource, e.g., the Gulf of Thailand. Because of the biological and ecological parameters of some species, this persistent bycatch is potentially considered a major threat despite not being able to quantify regional offtakes on a regular basis.
The varying regional exploitation of sea snakes for their meat, skins and body parts for medicinal purposes has the last 40 years escaped any documentation and monitoring schemes to evaluate bycatch offtakes as a threat against other threats recognized as detrimental to sea snakes. However, between 2008 and 2013, annual offtakes of ca. eight sea snake species in the Gulf of Thailand almost reported quantities of a quarter of a million that are also traded across Southeast Asian borders. One species, the extensively distributed Hydrophis [Lapemis] curtus) is traded internationally for its skins and is currently listed in Annex D of the European Wildlife Trade Regulation; to date no sea snake is regulated by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).
Against the backdrop of burgeoning and uncontrolled fishing in the region, it is particularly challenging to sustainably protect populations. As fish stocks decline worldwide, the commercialization of sea snakes is likely to increase. Inevitably, it is therefore necessary to enforce the precautionary principle and implement regional fisheries management tools next to the regulation of international trade in selected sea snake species. Apart from national responsibilities to secure viable sea snake populations, ongoing international research collaborations that monitor the status of regional populations are strongly recommended.