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Sea Cucumbers Management. To ensure sustainable resource management to allow long term resource usage Combination of data and cooperation and understanding between fisherman, merchants, communities and government
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Sea Cucumbers Management • To ensure sustainable resource management to allow long term resource usage • Combination of data and cooperation and understanding between fisherman, merchants, communities and government • Many forms of management that can be undertaken to attain sustainability of this industry • All based on correct information through sound data collection programs (in situ and through lands fishers, export etc) • Involve participation of all stakeholders in all aspects of management
Sea Cucumbers Management • Management plans should be species specific and developed before a fisheries is open. • All Management plans need to be supported by Regulations, Policies and public awareness. Management plan include • Total closure for extended periods (used when stock populations have been over exploited) • Seasonal closures (normally based on breeding seasons of stocks) • Habitat or location closures (MPA etc) • Size limitations (certain size collections only) • Gear restrictions (banning dredging, SCUBA bombs)
Sea Cucumbers Management Management plan continue • Limit number of fisherman or boats • Limit numbers of sea cucumbers allow to be collected • Control measures on export • Be flexible, adaptive and utilise a number of management tools for each species • Best management plans only as good as awareness, acceptance and enforcement
Sea Cucumbers Management Management plan should be conservative • Vulnerable species to over exploitation • Major threat is loss of breeding populations and associated habitats. • Species and their habitats should be protected • Should be incorporated into broad scale marine and fisheries management plans • Community awareness, compliance and enforcement are perquisites
Fisheries Information • Multi species fishery – many species fished together • Well dispersed, varied habitats • Easy access on snorkel or walking • Oldest commercial fishery • Boom and bust cycle • Fishers- who are they? • Processors and exporters – who are they? • Quality of product • Resources, catch, price information • Rising demand and price of product • Current management systems in not well aligned
Fisheries Managers • Understand the fishery • Know which information are important for management • Coordinate the effort of other partners • Aggregate and organize relevant information • Present information to decision makers • Advice on which part of the measures to be regulated • Development of fishery management plans – linkages with regulations, enforcement – compliance. Education, Awareness Stakeholders
Sea Cucumbers Management Current status of species in Yemen unknown • Appears certain species are over fished within waters associated with Yemen (trend in most nations currently harvesting sea cucumbers) • Lack of species specific data • Over fishing signs • Reduced size of individuals collected, Reduced numbers caught, • Increasing CPUE • Further distance traveled to collect • Lack of species specific data Management Difficult