Abstract

Sea cucumbers have gained popularity as a fishery resource in the Caribbean in recent years. This is largely as a consequence of their overfished status in parts of the Pacific where they are used for food and traditional medicine purposes for centuries. In the Caribbean they are not consumed except by very small oriental communities, for example in Jamaica. This study revealed that sea cucumbers have been quietly fished in Jamaica and exported in small quantities to markets in Hong Kong and Singapore for asignificant period of time. However, there is no known body of information on the biology of sea cucumbers in Jamaica’s waters. This is an unsustainable situation, as no fishery can be sustainable if biological information on the fished species is lacking. A small-scale study of the sea cucumbers was done between 2012 and 2013. Visual survey techniques were used to assess the animals observed at representative sites around Jamaica. Results strongly suggest that stocks existing in the areas investigated were very small. The dominant species were Holothuria mexicana and Actinopyga agassizii. This study suggests that Jamaican commercial buyers especially since 2010 have been purchasing both fresh and dried sea cucumbers for exportation. Most nearshore shallow (< 10 m) areas examined had depauperate populations possibly due to overfishing. The Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has moved to regulate this fishery and an indefinite ban on sea cucumber fishing and exportation is in place from 01 September 2013.

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