Harvesting sea cucumbers is a process that is limited to manual harvesting. Divers use the air supplied by the dive or the surface and gather animals in mesh bags to transport them to the surface. Sea cucumbers are marine animals of the class Holothuroidea, and they can be used as food, in fresh or dried form, in various kitchens. In some cultural contexts, sea cucumber is believed to have medicinal value.
The Southeastern Alaska marine cucumber fishery management plan (5 AAC 38.140) requires that harvest rates be based on a production surplus fishing model, and the model parameters are specified so that the harvest rate calculated annually is 6.4% of the most recently estimated biomass. The Chignik harvest is limited to 25,000 pounds of GHL, and the Alaska Peninsula, the Aleutian Islands, and the Bering Sea have GHL of 5000 pounds each to allow exploratory fishing. From Ecuador to Indonesia, more than 90% of the world's tropical coastlines have been incorporated into the global trade in sea cucumbers. The best season to harvest sea cucumbers on the coast of the Yellow and Bohai Seas is when autumn turns to winter and the waters cool like ice.
Residents of the Changshan Islands say that, in the past, there was no need to go diving to catch sea cucumbers because they could be picked on the seashore. These highly localized reductions, which occur mainly in areas that offer some protection against harsh autumn weather and sea conditions, are not expected to recover during the three-year management cycle, given the slow growth rates and the sporadic recruitment of sea cucumbers. Alaska's largest fishery is located in southeastern Alaska and a smaller scale fishery is located in the Kodiak and Chignik areas (map of sea cucumber management activities). In Dalian, people eat sea cucumbers for 81 days in a row when winter begins; some people cook animals and eat them for breakfast with rice or porridge, believing that they are good for their health. When one species of sea cucumber is overfished, anglers simply find another variety to take its place.
The first commercial harvest of sea cucumbers took place in 1983 in the Ketchikan area with an experimental harvest permit. In the far north of Queensland, Australia, sea cucumbers are harvested from the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea. Popular Chinese belief attributes male sexual health and its aphrodisiac qualities to sea cucumber, since it physically resembles a phallus, and uses a defense mechanism similar to that of ejaculation, since it hardens and throws its own entrails at the aggressor. The common ingredients that accompany sea cucumber dishes are winter melon, conpoy, kai-lan, shiitake mushroom and Chinese cabbage. But sea cucumbers only became really popular in recent decades, as ordinary Chinese people had more money to spend. Harvesting sea cucumbers is a process that requires careful consideration of regulations and environmental factors.
It is important to understand local regulations regarding harvesting seasonality and quotas before beginning any harvesting activities. Additionally, divers should be aware of potential environmental impacts such as localized reductions in population size due to overharvesting. By following these guidelines and understanding local regulations regarding harvesting seasonality and quotas before beginning any harvesting activities, it is possible to responsibly harvest sea cucumbers. This will ensure that these valuable marine animals can continue to be harvested sustainably for generations to come.
