Stock enhancement of seacucumbers - a solution for the depletion of natural stocks of Holothuria scabra along Gulf of Mannar

Abstract

Sea cucumbers form a valuable source of income for the poor fisherfolk along Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay areas of South-east-coast of India. Owing to the high demand in international market and inadequate fishery management practice, the commercial sea cucumber species have been over-exploited leading to the extinction of sea cucumber populations in several habitats. The "Convention on International Trade in Endangered species of Wild Fauna and Flora" (CITES) has recommended inclusion of sea cucumbers in the list of endangered animals and cited the reasons as limited mobility, late sexual maturity, density depended reproduction, low rates of recruitment and ease of collections for their overexploitation and subsequent resource depletion. The releasing of hatchery produced juveniles of commercial sea cucumber species to their natural habitat, a process called restoration, restocking or reseeding is gaining momentum world wide, as the only way for replenishing the depleted stock of sea cucumbers.