Survey area
For the purpose of this study, Eritrea’s coast was divided into three sea cucumber fishing grounds:northern, central and southern (Fig. 1). The selection of survey sites was based on the presence of important sea cucumber habitat (e.g. coral reef,sand substrate, muddy beaches, mangrove beds,seagrass beds and macroalgae), areas of fished and non-fished grounds, and areas nearshore and offshore from an island or the mainland. In total, 150 sites were selected: 60 sites in the central fishing grounds, 45 sites in the southern fishing grounds,and 45 sites in the northern fishing grounds.