As part of the Minns Labor Government's commitment to the recovery of the endangered White's Seahorse today 132 baby seahorses have been released off Little Beach near Nelson Bay.
Following today's release, a total of 1,000 White's Seahorses will have been released into Port Stephens this year as part of the Government's push to support the recovery of the local populations of this iconic threatened species.
To rebuild habitat for the released seahorses, 400 primary school students from 15 schools across the Hunter joined the Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty and Minister Kate Washington MP for Port Stephens today and helped deploy an additional 15 'seahorse hotels' they had made as part of the 'Seahorse Saviours school program'.
There are now 60 seahorse hotels installed in Port Stephens by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) team at The Pipeline and Little Beach dive sites.
These hotels start as artificial habitats, and rapidly become covered in algae, sponges and corals, that over time, cause the artificial structure to collapse, creating a new natural habitat that is perfect for seahorses.
The iconic White's Seahorse is listed as an endangered species in NSW, making it Australia's only threatened seahorse species and the second endangered seahorse worldwide.
Loss of natural habitats is the main cause of decline in White's Seahorse numbers, as the coastal estuaries and embayments in which they live are subject to human population pressure and extreme weather events.
The flood events of 2021 and 2022 had a major impact on White's Seahorse habitats, with shallow water seagrass, sponges and soft corals all experiencing massive declines.
This program has been supported with funding from the Albanese Government's Saving Native Species grants program
Minister for Agriculture, Tara Moriarty said:
"On 7 September we acknowledge National Threatened Species Day, and what better way to respond than to deploy 132 captive-bred White's Seahorse into Port Stephens to help this iconic species recover.
"While White's seahorses in Port Stephens have significantly declined over the past decade, the implementation of the Government's new captive-breeding program and installation of seahorse hotels are positive steps towards their recovery.
"We hope these stocking events will help the White's seahorse re-establish a home here at Port Stephens and will ensure the recovery of this iconic and beloved Australian species.
"I wish to thank the Albanese Government for their funding support for this program."
Minister Kate Washington & MP for Port Stephens said:
"It's very special to be releasing baby seahorses to make their home in seahorse hotels in PortStephens."
"This initiative highlights the NSW Government's commitment to preserving Port Stephens' unique marine life and restoring our important ecosystems."
"I'm delighted to see local students getting firsthand experience in marine conservation, by building and installing seahorse hotels."
"The successful breeding of these baby White's Seahorses is a testament to the dedicated staff at the Port Stephens Fisheries Institute."
