there are not studies that suggest how its extraction and administration could be
regulated.
The sea urchin T. ventricosus has been fished in the Caribbean Sea, particularly
in Barbados, where its natural banks were overexploited decades ago (Scheibling
and Mladenov 1998). This species is also found in Venezuelan waters, more
associated with zones beyond the continental coastline. Its abundance is so low
that not even a subsistence fishery is possible.
The exploitation of sea cucumbers in Venezuela is centered on two species,
H. mexicana and, particularly, I. badionotus, and has been generally illegal.
Nevertheless, under pressure from dealers and Asiatic fishers for establishing a sea
cucumber fishery in Venezuela, by middle 1990s an experimental permit was
issued by Servicio Autónomo de los Recursos Pesqueros y Acuícolas (SARPA,
currently INSOPESCA) of Venezuela. The permit was intended to be for one-year.
It established a maximum weekly quota of 200 kg per vessel, as well as a
requirement for continuous supervision and evaluation of the resource (Conde
1997; Rodríguez and Pauls 1998). However, the conditions of this permit were not
properly fulfilled, since the information on the extracted amounts was considered
neither adequate nor trustable. This led to the suspension of the permit after 6
months, but the illegal exploitation of sea cucumbers has continued. Acccording to
Rodríguez and Pauls (1998), had the exploitation of holothurians been continued
in that form, the damage caused to these resources along the eastern coasts (where
fishing was permitted) could have produced major effects on the populations.
These authors, using a report from Marcano and Marcano (1993) about the average
dry weight ind
-1 , showed that landings could have surpassed 42,000 kg y
-1 ,
equivalent to more than 3 million individuals.
Some results from this exploitation are provided by León and Cabrera (1994).
They found abundance indices of ca. 4 ind m
-2 in the vicinity of Coche Island and
2 ind m
-2 near Cubagua Island, which are considered high compared to other
zones in the Caribbean Sea (González et al. 2005). According to León and Cabrera
(1994), both species of sea cucumbers were distributed in depths from 2 to 40 m,
but their exploitation was concentrated between 10 and 15 m due to restrictions of
the breathing equipment used for the fishing process. They also found that
I. badionotus reaches sexual maturity at a length above 180 mm, although Palazón
(2001) reported sexual maturity at smaller size (body length of 147 mm).
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock established a general closed season
for sea cucumbers in Venezuelan waters until the needed technical studies for the
evaluation of the resources are made (Gaceta Oficial de la República de Venezuela
14-07-1997, MAC-DM 195, 10-07-1997). Nevertheless, illegal fishing is active
and there have been reports of Venezuelan sea cucumbers exported to Japan in
2005 (Toral-Granda 2008). In spite of the importance and uniqueness of the reports
by León and Cabrera (1994) and González et al. (2005) pertaining to the evaluation of the sea cucumber resources of Venezuela, it is difficult to reach adequate
conclusions from them that would allow administration strategies for these
resources. Hence, there is need to generate new knowledge to establish an
adequate legal framework for the protection and exploitation of sea cucumbers,
7 Echinoderms from Venezuela
259
regulated.
The sea urchin T. ventricosus has been fished in the Caribbean Sea, particularly
in Barbados, where its natural banks were overexploited decades ago (Scheibling
and Mladenov 1998). This species is also found in Venezuelan waters, more
associated with zones beyond the continental coastline. Its abundance is so low
that not even a subsistence fishery is possible.
The exploitation of sea cucumbers in Venezuela is centered on two species,
H. mexicana and, particularly, I. badionotus, and has been generally illegal.
Nevertheless, under pressure from dealers and Asiatic fishers for establishing a sea
cucumber fishery in Venezuela, by middle 1990s an experimental permit was
issued by Servicio Autónomo de los Recursos Pesqueros y Acuícolas (SARPA,
currently INSOPESCA) of Venezuela. The permit was intended to be for one-year.
It established a maximum weekly quota of 200 kg per vessel, as well as a
requirement for continuous supervision and evaluation of the resource (Conde
1997; Rodríguez and Pauls 1998). However, the conditions of this permit were not
properly fulfilled, since the information on the extracted amounts was considered
neither adequate nor trustable. This led to the suspension of the permit after 6
months, but the illegal exploitation of sea cucumbers has continued. Acccording to
Rodríguez and Pauls (1998), had the exploitation of holothurians been continued
in that form, the damage caused to these resources along the eastern coasts (where
fishing was permitted) could have produced major effects on the populations.
These authors, using a report from Marcano and Marcano (1993) about the average
dry weight ind
-1 , showed that landings could have surpassed 42,000 kg y
-1 ,
equivalent to more than 3 million individuals.
Some results from this exploitation are provided by León and Cabrera (1994).
They found abundance indices of ca. 4 ind m
-2 in the vicinity of Coche Island and
2 ind m
-2 near Cubagua Island, which are considered high compared to other
zones in the Caribbean Sea (González et al. 2005). According to León and Cabrera
(1994), both species of sea cucumbers were distributed in depths from 2 to 40 m,
but their exploitation was concentrated between 10 and 15 m due to restrictions of
the breathing equipment used for the fishing process. They also found that
I. badionotus reaches sexual maturity at a length above 180 mm, although Palazón
(2001) reported sexual maturity at smaller size (body length of 147 mm).
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock established a general closed season
for sea cucumbers in Venezuelan waters until the needed technical studies for the
evaluation of the resources are made (Gaceta Oficial de la República de Venezuela
14-07-1997, MAC-DM 195, 10-07-1997). Nevertheless, illegal fishing is active
and there have been reports of Venezuelan sea cucumbers exported to Japan in
2005 (Toral-Granda 2008). In spite of the importance and uniqueness of the reports
by León and Cabrera (1994) and González et al. (2005) pertaining to the evaluation of the sea cucumber resources of Venezuela, it is difficult to reach adequate
conclusions from them that would allow administration strategies for these
resources. Hence, there is need to generate new knowledge to establish an
adequate legal framework for the protection and exploitation of sea cucumbers,
7 Echinoderms from Venezuela
259