Overexploitation terminates the sea cucumber population in Yucatan

MÉRIDA, Yuc., (June 29, 2021).- The president of the National Chamber of the Fishing and Aquaculture Industry (Canainpesca) in Yucatán, Enrique Sánchez Sánchez, assured that it is difficult that this year the capture of sea cucumber can be opened in the state since the species has been practically exhausted.

Sánchez Sánchez revealed that investigations carried out by specialists on the subject for several months have shown that there would not be enough product to be used in this year 2021 because there was overexploitation of this species that is in great demand from international markets, especially those Asians who pay very good this resource.
“Unfortunately so far, and from the few reports that there have been from Inapesca, there is really not enough biomass to be able to exploit this product now on the Yucatecan coast, even if you want to fish, there simply isn’t anymore,” he said.

Recently, the Presidency of the Republic exhorted Conapesca to carry out the necessary steps to carry out an eventual opening in the capture of sea cucumber, a species that is permanently closed, due to its commercial value, the overexploitation has put at risk its existence.

Last year there was a formal request from Canainpesca and fishing cooperatives to the state and federal government on this same issue, although there was no favorable response.

However, studies carried out in Yucatán have shown that the echinoderm is found at depths that exceed the catch capacity of local fishermen, so its use, depending on the sector, would put workers at risk.

Given this, it will be difficult for the capture of sea cucumber to be an option to lift the fall in which local fisheries find themselves.

“There is no sea cucumber anywhere in Yucatán. Prospects have been made in Celestún, in Dzilam de Bravo and in the east and there are none. There is not enough biomass. It will not open, it will definitely not open, we will have another state fishing council, possibly in 15 days or three weeks and there we could talk about this, ” said the leader and fishing entrepreneur.

The last time that the capture of sea cucumbers was allowed in Yucatán was in April 2018, a year in which there was no good use of it. Of course, at that time at least three people died from decompression in search of the product, which – it was reiterated – is highly coveted in the Asian continent. So it is a new year in which the Yucatecan fishermen will not be able to obtain the sea cucumber.