The Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA) made the Sea Cucumber Fishery Management Plan in the Yucatan Peninsula operative, aiming to promote an orderly, balanced, integrated and sustainable fishing activity.
This fishery for the first time has a Fisheries Management Plan based on the current knowledge of the biological, ecological, fisheries, environmental, economic, cultural and social aspects, which will generate benefits for fishing communities in the region.
The Plan includes actions that will help promote better fishing practices, combat illegal capture, ensure product quality and establish marketing strategies and competitiveness for the benefit of producers.
It is the result of efforts intended to perform the analysis, exchange of knowledge and information, coordination and collaboration among all the actors involved in this fishery, whose orderly participation is promoted by SAGARPA with the implementation of a rigorous methodology to identify the components, action lines and necessary steps for the orderly and sustainable development of the capture of the species.
The sea cucumber is a marine resource that has become particularly important as it is appreciated in other countries, such as Asian ones, where it has been consumed for centuries and has formed part of their culture and traditions.
Two species of sea cucumber having commercial importance in the southeastern region of the Gulf of Mexico are recognized: Isostichopus badionotus and Holothuria floridana.
The abundance of these populations on the coast of the Yucatan peninsula may well support a small-scale commercial fishery in an orderly way and thus, all the sectors involved participate in the proper management of the resource.
With the implementation of the Management Plan, prepared by the National Fisheries Institute (INAPESCA), SAGARPA meets the requirements of the National Fisheries Board and the Fisheries and Aquaculture State Councils by launching actions to promote the sustainability and conservation of this species.
This Plan, whose start-up is headed by the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Committee (CONAPESCA) includes actions to monitor the sea cucumber populations in order to identify marine shoals susceptible to exploitation.
In addition, it considers the elaboration of technical opinions that make it possible to set capture and ban seasons and quotas as well as determine the number of boats allowed on fishing grounds.
The paper, published in the Federation Official Gazette and that comes into force on 14 May, said that population density and size limits will be checked, which will make it possible to protect juvenile specimens and breeding ones.
Furthermore, distribution areas of juvenile species of sea cucumber — Isostichopus badionotus and Holothuria floridana — will also be identified.
Besides, refuge areas will be established to protect this resource reproductive cycles, as it has high value in the national and international markets.
FIS.com, 2015