Sea cucumbers (Holothurians) are a group of marine
invertebrates that are harvested worldwide, mostly for
human consumption in Asian countries. Over the past
decades, a significant increase in the demand for sea
cucumbers has led to an explosion in exploitation, which
often results in population declines in many producing
nations. Because of the importance of sea cucumbers as
a source of livelihood for many artisanal fishers from
developing countries, and as a globally traded product,
there is considerable interest in information on their biology, ecology and fisheries management. Although management agencies and fishing communities recognize
that sea cucumber fisheries are in trouble worldwide,
attempts at management have been largely unsuccessful due to several factors including: 1) the vulnerability
of sea cucumbers to harvesting, 2) the artisanal nature
of the fishery, which prevents fishing communities from
using alternative coping mechanisms, 3) the institutional
and socioeconomic barriers to management. Sea cucumber production has been declining in nations of the
Western Indian Ocean in the last 10 years. The reasons for the overexploitation include: 1) a lack of ecological information for understanding species life histories, 2) a lack of understanding of the socioeconomic
realities of the fishery, and 3) inadequate monitoring and enforcement of fishery regulations