English

Abstract

The sea cucumbers are marine invertebrates, typically found in the shallow benthic areas and deep seas across the world. They have high commercial value coupled with increasing global production and trade. The major products of sea cucumbers, informally named as beche-de-mer, or gamat, have long been using for food and folk medicine in the peoples of Asia and Middle East. Nutritionally, sea cucumbers have an exciting profile of valuable nutrients such as Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, and minerals, specifically calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc. A number of distinctive biological and pharmacological activities including anti-angiogenic, anticancer, anticoagulant, anti-hypertension, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antithrombotic, antitumor and wound healing have also been attributed to various species of sea cucumbers due to the presence of valuable bioactive compounds with biomedical applications. We accumulated global aquaculture production, harvestings, economic data, and country-specific assessment and management reports to synthesize global trends in sea cucumber fisheries, evaluate potential drivers, and test for local and global exploitation patterns. Although some sea cucumber fisheries have existed for centuries, catch trends of most individual fisheries followed boom-and-bust patterns since the 1950s, declining nearly as quickly as they expanded. New fisheries expanded five to six times faster in 1990 compared to 1960 and at an increasing distance from Asia, encompassing a global fishery by the 1990s. Global sea cucumber production was correlated to the Japanese yen at a leading lag. Regional assessments revealed that population declines from overfishing occurred in 81% of sea cucumber fisheries, average harvested body size declined in 35%, harvesters moved from near- to off-shore regions in 51% and from high- to low-value species in 76%. Thirty-eight per cent of sea cucumber fisheries remained unregulated, and illegal catches were of concern in half. Nevertheless, development patterns of sea cucumber fisheries are largely predictable, often unsustainable and frequently too rapid for effective management. A ample discussion has been made on the potential ecosystem and human community consequences, effective aquaculture management strategies, and urge for better monitoring and reporting of catch and abundance, proper scientific research for stock enhancement and consideration of international trade regulations to ensure long-term and sustainable development and utilization of world sea cucumbers fisheries.