Boom in seahorse poaching spells bust for Italy’s coastal habitats

Ocean species endangered as black market trade devastates marine life across Puglia region

Every night, dozens of wooden boats loaded with fishing equipment pass under the Punta Penna bridge and into the protected waters of the Mar Piccolo, a unique saltwater lagoon in the southern Italian port city of Taranto.

Trawling nets, cage traps and even homemade bombs are deployed into the moonlit waters by those in search of lucrative prey. "It's like my father picking lemons and making limoncello at home," says Luciano Manna, a local activist who has been monitoring the illegal activity for five years. "It's too easy."