International trade in sea-cucumbers

Sakthivel, M and Swamy, P K (1994) International trade in sea-cucumbers. CMFRI Bulletin, 46. pp. 91-98.

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Abstract

The international trade in sea-cucumber is limited to countries in Southeast Asia, Japan and in a few countries where there is substantial ethnic Chinese population. The best price is paid for processed products such as dried gonads, salted fermented intestine (Konowata), dried body meat (trepang or beche-de-mer) and excised longitudinal muscles. The m^or volume of the trade is on dried beche-de-mer. Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia are the principal trade centres. In Japan, they are consumed fresh and the supplies are mainly from domestic sources. Indonesia, Philippines, Japan, Korea (DPR), Sri Lanka, India, Africa and Oceania are the msgor suppliers of dried sea-cucumbers. Out of the import of 6453 tonnes into Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia during the year 1986, the contribution from India was only 33 tonnes valued at Rs. 38.04 lakhs. Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines were the major suppliers. This is because of the ban on export of beche-de-mer below 3" (7.6 cm) which formed around 70% of our export before the ban. However, our export of dried beche-de-mer scaled to new peaks in 1987 worth of Rs. 82.34 lakhs in foreign exchange. Though we have been traditionally exporting this item to Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, U. K. and USA, our export is now confined mainly to Singapore market. Since the trade on sea-cucumber has potential for further expansion, it provides enormous scope for culture / sea-ranching in the oceanic lagoons and Palk Bay area of the Indian seas and increase the production for export. This will pave way to provide employment to the fishermen and earn precious foreign exchange for the country.

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