Sea Cucumber Workshop

The technical workshop on the conservation of sea cucumbers in the families Holothuridae and Stichopodidae took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 1 to 3 March 2004. It was attended by about 40 experts and representatives from exporting and importing countries, private industry, and international goverments and non-governmental organizations. The objectives of the workshop were:

• To review information on the status, catches and bycatches of and trade in specimens of sea cucumbers within the families Holothuridae and Stichopodidae; and on domestic measures for their conservation, including consideration of the adequacy of these measures;
  
• To establish conservation priorities and actions to ensure the conservation of sea cucumbers within the families Holothuridae and Stichopodidae, addressing inter alia trade monitoring and controls, national legislation and regulations, fisheries management options, conservation management and research, enforcement and capacity building; and
  
• To formulate findings and recommendations that would contribute towards the discussion paper on the biological and trade status of sea cucumbers within the families Holothuridae and Stichopodidae to be prepared by the Animals Committee for discussion at the present meeting.

A number of recommendations were developed during the workshop on National fisheries management; priorities for international conservation and protection; and the benefits and constraints of including species of sea cucumbers of the families Holothuridae and Stichopodidae in the Appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora . These included:

1. Through an evaluation of available biological and trade data a number of Biogeographical ‘hot spots’ and species of concern were identified;
   
2. Locations were sea cucumbers are under heavy fishing pressure and localized extirpations have been reported include: East Coast of Africa and the Red Sea including Egypt, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Yemen; West Indian Ocean Island countries including Comoros, Madagascar and Seychelles; Western Pacific including Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu; Asia including China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam and Central and north western part of South America including Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico;
   
3. The species regarded as of urgent concern are Holothuria fuscogilva*, Holothuria nobilis*, Holothuria scabra, Thelenota ananas and Isostichopus fuscus. Species that are of concern in certain parts or countries of its range are Actinopyga echinites*, Holothuria scabra versicolor*, Actinopyga lecanora, Actinopyga miliaris*, Actinopyga mauritiana, Stichopus herrmanni*, Stichopus horrens and Stichopus chloronotus. The species for which information indicates a potential of future concern as harvests increase are Bohadschia argus, Holothuria fuscopunctata, Parastichopus californicus and Isostichopus badionotus;
   
4. To address unsustainable fishing practices and trade, a Sea Cucumber Fishery Management Plan needs to be developed and implemented in each country as an integral component of a sea cucumber conservation strategy. Through an evaluation of national management measures that are in use or have been recommended in countries with sea cucumber fisheries, countries with sea cucumber fisheries should consider minimum size limits, gear restrictions, spatial and seasonal closures, rotational harvests and limited entry. These measures may be adopted, either singly or in combination, using an adaptive management process. Measures adopted in each location will depend on the status of the fishery, available information and feasibility;
   
5. For the species categorized as of high concern, of concern in certain countries of its range, or as having the potential for future concern as harvests increase: a) exporting countries should develop and implement a regionally harmonized national management plan for this species; b) internationally harmonized reporting codes for export of these species should be adopted; and c) priority should be given to these species for basic biological and ecological research and stock assessments;
   
6. Including species of sea cucumbers of the families Holothuridae and Stichopodidae in the Appendices of CITES is expected to cutail illegal trade and harvest; Awareness raising amongst stakeholders;help address FAO concerns about overexploitation, assist in the conservation and management of sea cucumber species for long-term socioeconomic benefits from sustainable fisheries;provide comprehensive and standardized trade and quota reporting, to species level; and ensure that levels of exportation are non-detrimental to the survival of these species [i.e. are sustainable], and thereby contribute to a cessation of over harvest and the perpetuation of sustainable fisheries; and
   
7. An Appendix-II listing in CITES would also place additional burden on both range countries and importing countries concerning: Permitting requirements; establishment or adjustment of institutional infrastructure to deal with new CITES trade; New training required regarding CITES trade regulations and species and specimens identification; the establishment of non-detriment findings in compliance with Article IV, with little data or guidance; development of regulatory measures to comply CITES provisions; And short-term socio-economic impacts, including a reduction in fisheries income for fishers and traders because trade is expected to decline and reduction in tax revenue for exporting range States because the levels of export are expected to reduce.

The workshop proceedings, including background data on biology, management and CITES issues, reports from each of the range state, and working group resolutions will be available shortly.

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