Status, Prospects and Market Potentials of the Sea Cucumber Fisheries with Special Reference on Their Proper Utilization and Trade

Abstract

Sea cucumbers belonging to the phylum Echinodermata are important marine invertebrates, generally occur in the sandy substrates and rocky shores near the bottom of sea. This review work has been attempted to make an interlink between biological and socio-economical perspectives of sea cucumber because of the high demand in the present world. The outer body part of sea cucumber (bêche-de-mer) has been recognized for producing secondary metabolites including vitamins and triterpenoid glycoside saponins that have profound ecological and bio-medicinal significance. Sea cucumbers are also used to remove arthritis pain, exert wound healing, and nowadays, are utilized in human health therapeutics and Asian folk medicine. Due to higher pharmaceutical, cosmeceutical and nutraceutical values, sea cucumber has become one of the most essential products, and fetched higher market prices and therefore, provide a significant earning source and employment opportunity to the coastal communities in many countries. The sea cucumber and its product have been considered to be the excellent bioresource in the invertebrate fishery, whose harvestings, transporting, handlings, processing and maintenance are easy, convenient and cost-effective. Historically, bêche-de-mer were harvested from the multi-species capture fishery and stored for long times for selling to the businessmen and traders directly on the site. As like other lucrative and expensive food items viz., fish-maws, shark-fins and abalones, sea cucumbers are taken into the account as the high-valued products in the world seafood markets. Nevertheless, bêche-de-mer product supply in the South-East Asian countries has been decreasing day by day because of unstrained harvesting and overexploitation. On the other hand, the marketing structure in these countries is typically ineffective and the trading networks are multifaceted. Due to the lack of proper information, fishermen are not usually getting proper values and actual prices from the sea cucumber products, whereas other distributors and value-chain members have made complex systems, which have led to high cost of the products. The sea cucumber products will still have higher possibility of trading throughout the world markets, that might eventually contribute to the global economy in a very worthwhile, significant and sustainable manner.

Wild sea cucumber trade in rural Madagascar: Consequences for conservation and human welfare

“…The diversity of Madagascar's wild sea cucumber species is decreasing (Maharavo, 2009). Yet, continued high demand (Rahman et al, 2020; Rahman & Yusoff, 2017) increases the incentive to collect threatened sea cucumber species despite their low population density.…”

Morphological characteristics of sea cucumbers (Holothuroidea) from Socah Waters, Bangkalan, Madura

“…Sea cucumbers are highly prized and are extensively traded in both local [24] and global markets [25][26]. The cost of dried sea cucumbers varies from 400,000 to 6,000,000 IDR per kilogram, depending on factors like the species, quantity, and the market in which they are sold (local or international).…”

Echinoderm fisheries: their culture, conservation, bioactive compounds and therapeutic applications

“…Therapeutic properties and medicinal benefits of sea cucumbers can be linked to the presence of a wide array of bioactive compounds (Bordbar et al, 2011;Rahman, 2014a;Rahman, 2014b;Rahman, 2014c;Rahman et al, 2015;Rahman et al, 2017a;Rahman et al, 2017b), especially triterpene glycosides (saponins) (Kerr and Chen, 1995), chondroitin sulfates (Vieira et al, 1991), glycosaminoglycan (Pacheco et al, 2000), sulfated polysaccharides (Mourao and Pereira, 1999), sterols (glycosides and sulfates) (Goad et al, 1985), phenolics (Mamelona et al, 2007), cerberosides (Sugawara et al, 2006), lectins (Mojica and Merca, 2005), peptides (Rafiuddin et al, 2004), glycoprotein, glycosphingolipids and essential fatty acids (Bordbar et al, 2011). However, the multiple biological, nutritional and therapeutic properties of sea cucumbers with respect to their potential and significant uses for functional foods, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products and human health benefits have recently been well-documented (Rahman et al, 2015;Zulfaqar et al, 2016a;Zulfaqar et al, 2016b;Rahman et al, 2017a;Rahman et al, 2017b;Rahman et al, 2020). Sea cucumbers are also one of the delicacies of fine Chinese cuisine and are of cultural importance.…”