from Punta Mangle to Punta Espinoza. The concentrations (per cent wet weight) of
ash (1.0–1.5 %), protein (2.0–4.0 %), fat (3.1–3.6 %), and carbohydrates (\1.0 %)
were all low as the water content was high (93.5 %). Carbonate and chloride
concentrations were very low (\1.0 %). This indicates the body wall of I. fuscus is
not a high-quantity protein food source.
The I. fuscus fishery was banned from 1995 to 1998. In 1998, the Galápagos
Marine Reserve (GMR) was created, along with a novel management system based
on the participation of local stakeholders (Galápagos National Park Service,
Charles Darwin Research Station, tourism, fishing and local guide sectors). One of
the first issues addressed by the new participatory system was to agree upon
management measures to re-open the sea cucumber fishery in 1999. Since then,
this fishery has been characterized by annual negotiations, conflicts, inconsistencies and a deterioration of the resource which has resulted in its collapse (Shepherd
et al. 2004). At first, local fishers remained focused on whitefish and lobster, but as
the sea cucumber fishery became established, this figure rose to a maximum of
1,229 active fishers in 2000. After this year, the number declined to just 436 active
fishers in 2007 (Murillo and Reyes 2007). In the first official fishing season (1999)
4.4 million sea cucumbers were harvested, 4.9 million in 2000, 2.7 million in
2001, 8.3 million in 2002 and 5.0 million in 2003 (Toral-Granda et al. 2006).
From 2002 onwards quotas were set in place which generally outstripped the
capacity of the resource, and catches declined steadily until the fishery was closed
in 2006. After pressure from fishers and local politicians, it was re-opened in 2007.
Overall, more than 25.3 million sea cucumbers (over 6800 t live weight) have been
extracted legally from the GMR since 1999 (Murillo et al. 2002a, b). Since its
re-opening in 1999, the fishery for I. fuscus in the Galápagos Islands has been
regulated by a minimum size limit for both fresh and processed sea cucumbers
(among other regulatory measures). The size limits are not regarded as a useful
tool by the fishers because they believe that sea cucumbers change length too
easily to be accurately measured. Nonetheless, local fishers mostly agree, in
principle, to have minimum legal size limits rather than none at all. Both management authorities and scientific bodies concur that this regulation is not as
effective as others.
Sea cucumber density displayed an irregular pattern with high values of
[0.4 ind m
-2 between 1995 and 1997, but with very low values in 1999 (only
0.13 ind m
-2 ). No surveys were made in 1998. However, after 1999, there was a
rapid recovery to prior levels, peaking in 2002, after which densities dropped
rapidly and showed no further signs of recovery. At the same time, catch per unit
effort (CPUE) measured by onboard observers, increased from 90 to 136 ind diver h
-1 (between 1999 and 2002, respectively), and then dropped to 55 ind diver
h
-1 by 2005. The decline of I. fuscus populations has led to the illegal exploitation
of three other, less valuable, sea cucumber species in the GMR: Stichopus horrens,
Holothuria kefersteinii and H. atra (Hearn and Pinillos 2006; Toral-Granda et al.
2006).
Several methods, such as molecular phylogeny, morphology, visual, and skeletal
features, have been used to try to identify different species of sea cucumbers while
218
J. Sonnenholzner et al.
ash (1.0–1.5 %), protein (2.0–4.0 %), fat (3.1–3.6 %), and carbohydrates (\1.0 %)
were all low as the water content was high (93.5 %). Carbonate and chloride
concentrations were very low (\1.0 %). This indicates the body wall of I. fuscus is
not a high-quantity protein food source.
The I. fuscus fishery was banned from 1995 to 1998. In 1998, the Galápagos
Marine Reserve (GMR) was created, along with a novel management system based
on the participation of local stakeholders (Galápagos National Park Service,
Charles Darwin Research Station, tourism, fishing and local guide sectors). One of
the first issues addressed by the new participatory system was to agree upon
management measures to re-open the sea cucumber fishery in 1999. Since then,
this fishery has been characterized by annual negotiations, conflicts, inconsistencies and a deterioration of the resource which has resulted in its collapse (Shepherd
et al. 2004). At first, local fishers remained focused on whitefish and lobster, but as
the sea cucumber fishery became established, this figure rose to a maximum of
1,229 active fishers in 2000. After this year, the number declined to just 436 active
fishers in 2007 (Murillo and Reyes 2007). In the first official fishing season (1999)
4.4 million sea cucumbers were harvested, 4.9 million in 2000, 2.7 million in
2001, 8.3 million in 2002 and 5.0 million in 2003 (Toral-Granda et al. 2006).
From 2002 onwards quotas were set in place which generally outstripped the
capacity of the resource, and catches declined steadily until the fishery was closed
in 2006. After pressure from fishers and local politicians, it was re-opened in 2007.
Overall, more than 25.3 million sea cucumbers (over 6800 t live weight) have been
extracted legally from the GMR since 1999 (Murillo et al. 2002a, b). Since its
re-opening in 1999, the fishery for I. fuscus in the Galápagos Islands has been
regulated by a minimum size limit for both fresh and processed sea cucumbers
(among other regulatory measures). The size limits are not regarded as a useful
tool by the fishers because they believe that sea cucumbers change length too
easily to be accurately measured. Nonetheless, local fishers mostly agree, in
principle, to have minimum legal size limits rather than none at all. Both management authorities and scientific bodies concur that this regulation is not as
effective as others.
Sea cucumber density displayed an irregular pattern with high values of
[0.4 ind m
-2 between 1995 and 1997, but with very low values in 1999 (only
0.13 ind m
-2 ). No surveys were made in 1998. However, after 1999, there was a
rapid recovery to prior levels, peaking in 2002, after which densities dropped
rapidly and showed no further signs of recovery. At the same time, catch per unit
effort (CPUE) measured by onboard observers, increased from 90 to 136 ind diver h
-1 (between 1999 and 2002, respectively), and then dropped to 55 ind diver
h
-1 by 2005. The decline of I. fuscus populations has led to the illegal exploitation
of three other, less valuable, sea cucumber species in the GMR: Stichopus horrens,
Holothuria kefersteinii and H. atra (Hearn and Pinillos 2006; Toral-Granda et al.
2006).
Several methods, such as molecular phylogeny, morphology, visual, and skeletal
features, have been used to try to identify different species of sea cucumbers while
218
J. Sonnenholzner et al.