Laura Marlin Mysteries 2: Kidnap in the Caribbean (25 page)

Six of the seven species of marine turtle are endangered, and yet illegal trade in meat, leather and eggs from these animals continues. In 2009, enforcement officers seized 849 sea turtles from a Vietnamese farmer who was planning to sell them for their meat and shells.

WHAT YOU CAN DO
: If you’re travelling and are offered souvenir turtle’s eggs, leather or shells, refuse to buy them and contact the authorities. Sponsor a turtle family through the Born Free Foundation:
www.bornfree.org

The illegal trade in seahorses for use in traditional Chinese medicine is on the increase. In July 2010, a single seizure in Beijing turned up 100 kilos of freeze-dried seahorses. The legal trade is also a matter of grave concern. An estimated eighty nations trade in 24 million seahorses annually.

WHAT YOU CAN DO
: Never buy any seahorse product, legal or illegal.

Leafy and Weedy seadragons are very rare and highly prized by collectors. If you own an aquarium, boycott any shop that sells them and refuse to buy them.

For more information or advice on how to sponsor marine species or raise money for them, contact the Born Free Foundation or join their Born Free Kids club:
www.bornfree.org

Heartfelt thanks to my agent Catherine Clarke, my editor, Fiona Kennedy, and all the other lovely people at Orion, especially Lisa Milton, Alexandra Nicholas, Nina Douglas, Kate Christer and Jane Hughes. Thanks also to David Dean for the incredible cover, to Anne Tudor of the Born Free Foundation for suggesting the location, and to Carlisle Bay resort in Antigua.