Sea cumcumber

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COMMERCIALLY IMPORTANT SEA CUCUMBERS OF THE WORLD

Sea cucumbers are harvested and traded in more than 70 countries worldwide. They are exploited in industrialized, semi-industrialized, and artisanal (small-scale) fisheries in polar regions, temperate zones and throughout the tropics. In some fisheries, more than 20 species can be exploited by fishers and should be distinguished from each other by fishery officers and scientists. The processed (cooked and dried) animals, often called bêche-de-mer or trepang, are exported mostly to Asian markets and need to be distinguished to species level by customs and trade officers. This book is intended as an identification tool for fishery managers, scientists, trade officers and industry workers to distinguish various species exploited and traded worldwide.