KINGSTON, Jamaica— Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Floyd Green, has announced that plans are on track for the opening of the limited entry commercial fishery for sea cucumbers.

A Sea Cucumber Fishery Licensing Policy Framework Session was held on Wednesday, at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries’ Hope Complex where priority dates for the season were established. The meeting was the culmination of a series of stakeholder engagements headed by the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) aimed at designing the framework.

“Applications for the sea cucumber fishery are set to open on Monday, September 20, 2021. The season will run from October to March for three consecutive years which protects the sea cucumber spawning period,” Green stated.

According to the NFA, sustainable resource use and management of the sea cucumber fishery will rely on the establishment of total allowable catches (TAC) and the allocation of individual fishing quotas (IFQ).

In his May 2021 Sectoral Presentation in Parliament, Green indicated that there is a large demand for sea cucumber products particularly in the East Asian market where prices have increased exponentially over the last decade.

“We are focusing on the diversification and sustainable use of our fishable resources so that we can maximise our export potential and ensure sustainability. This is the new face of food,” the Minister said.

He continued that it is anticipated that Jamaica can sustainably produce more than 30 tonnes of wet weight per year for this species with significant US dollar export earning potential.

“The TAC will be divided into shares, a part of which will be equally divided among those fishers that participated in the exploratory research programme for sea cucumbers on the Pedro Bank. The balance on the TAC will then be available for competitive allocation through an auction system. For the Pedro Bank fishery, a total allowable catch of 90 metric tonnes over the same period will be established, that is, an average of 30 metric tonnes per year between the period,” he said.

The NFA will be embarking on a sensitisation campaign in the upcoming weeks, which will include two (2) webinars for fishers and other stakeholders on the new sea cucumber fishing season and fishery management.