Revered and Reviled: The Plight of the Vanishing Sea Cucumbers

Abstract

Sea cucumbers paradoxically suffer from being both highly prized and commonly disregarded. As an Asian medicine and delicacy, they command fabulous prices and are thus overfished, poached, and trafficked. As noncharismatic animals, many are understudied and inadequately protected. Despite presenting a rich diversity of life histories, members of this broad taxonomic group (class Holothuroidea) are often managed simply as “sea cucumbers” in fisheries worldwide. One cannot imagine fishes (class Pisces) being given the same universal treatment. Yet this may happen for species of sea cucumber that differ on the same fundamental level as tilapia and tuna. As more sea cucumbers reach an endangered status and wild populations become depleted to the point of collapse, critical questions arise about the relevance of established conservation and governance strategies. This article reviews the main threats faced by exploited sea cucumbers, outlines conservation and governance effectiveness, identifies gaps in knowledge, and explores management and research perspectives in the context of climate change and booming fisheries crime. We stress the perilous state of harvested sea cucumbers globally and the urgent need for action.