Papua New Guinea: a hotspot of sea cucumber fisheries in the Western Central Pacific

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Sea cucumber

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is one of the largest countries in the Western Central Pacific region and is now the third largest producer of bêche-de-mer in the world, supplying around 10 percent of the global market. Species of commercial importance recognized by the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) include Actinopyga echinites, A. lecanora, A. mauritiana, A. miliaris, Bohadschia argus, B. similis, B. vitiensis, Holothuria atra, H. coluber, H. edulis, H. fuscogilva, H. fuscopunctata, H. scabra, H. scabra var. versicolor, H. whitmaei, Pearsonothuria graeffei, Stichopus chloronotus, S. herrmanni, S. horrens, Thelenota ananas and T. anax. Other species that are occasionally taken include A. caerulea, H. leucospilota, S. pseudohorrens, S. vastus and T. rubralineata. Sea cucumbers are not a common “traditional” food in PNG, hence almost all are exported. They are mainly harvested by hand by free divers, or with spears and lead bombs in deeper water. Night fishing with torches and underwater breathing devices are used now despite their prohibition.