The fast development of sea cucumber fisheries in the Mediterranean and NE Atlantic waters: From a new marine resource to its over exploitation
Abstract In the last years, sea cucumbers consumption is increasing in the Asian region, as consequence more than 70% of the sea cucumber fisheries around the world are fully/over exploited or depleted. Therefore, Asiatic markets are looking for new target species mainly from Mediterranean Sea and NE Atlantic Ocean. In this paper, we establish the state of the art of the sea cucumber fisheries in this geographical area, analyze the negative effects of over exploitation on five species (Holothuria polii, Holothuria tubulosa, Holothuria mammata, Holothuria arguinensis and Parastichopus regalis) through three study cases well documented in Turkey, Spain and Portugal, assess the Holothuria forskali fishery under regulation in NW Spain, and finally suggest some management measures to improve, and/or develop a right regulation for the exploitation of these new resources. The current fishery pressure has already provoked some important negative effects on wild populations of sea cucumbers from Mediterranean and NE Atlantic waters, such as decrease in density, abundance, and genetic diversity, loss of the biggest individuals, increase on the prevalence of some diseases, and even "local extinction" in some places. Most of the countries where these species are being caught, have not legislation for these fisheries. Therefore, an improvement in the biological knowledge of these new target species is mandatory to effectively suggest right management measures to protect stocks, and to favor the development of national, and international legislation to prevent illegal catches. Existing legislation, e.g. that from Galicia (NW Spain) or Turkey, could be used as a starting point to develop a more effective set of rules. Fishery on sea cucumbers by using scuba diving equipment should be forbidden or better regulated because of its heavy impact on wild populations. Current increasing demand on sea cucumbers should be satisfied by aquaculture production; its biotechnology on species from the Mediterranean and NE Atlantic is being already developed with increasing success, which will allow a reduction of fishery pressures on wild populations of these new target species, and the possibility to develop restocking programs.