ISSN 1025-4943 Issue 40 – March 2020 BECHE-DE-MER information bulletin Inside this issue Editorial Three species of teatfish to be protected th by CITES This 40 issue of the SPC Beche-de-mer Information Bulletin includes 15 original articles M. Di Simone et al. p. 3 and scientific observations from a wide variety of regions around the world. A comparison of sea cucumber commercial communities in the French We begin with an article by Di Simone et al. (p. 3–4), discussing the recent addition of Polynesia and New Caledonia atolls listed as UNESCO Man and Biosphere three Holothuriidae species (teatfish: Holothuria fuscogilva, H. nobilis and H. whitmaei) to and World Heritage Areas CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) Appendix 2. Di Simone S. Andréfouët and A. Tagliaferro p. 5 and her colleagues note that this first “listing” for holothurians will probably be closely Impact of Thalamita crenata (Decapoda; monitored to determine whether CITES is the right instrument for their conservation. Portunidae) predation on Holothuria scabra juvenile survival in sea farming pens Andréfouët and Tagliaferro made a comparative assessment of sea cucumber communities Igor Eeckhaut et al. p. 11 in the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Fakarava Reserve of French Polynesia and in the Entrecasteaux group of the Lagoons of New Caledonia World Heritage Area (p. 5–10). Loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta preys on sea cucumbers on a reef in These two UNESCO-listed areas only include atolls, and the period of the study (2012– Belize 2013) was timely as it marked the official end of recent exploitations in both areas. The A. Rogers et al. p. 17 authors conclude that, compared with many sites in the Pacific, these atolls still harboured Ectocommensals of the stichopodid sea significant sea cucumber populations. They call for periodic holothurian surveys in the cucumbers Thelenota anax and Stichopus areas to estimate the possible impact of illegal or controlled legal exploitation since the vastus on the northern Great Barrier Reef S.E. Purcell et al. p. 20 period of the survey. Current status of the sea cucumber fishery and its illegal trade in Algeria Eeckhaut et al. (p. 11–16) estimated the impact of predation by the crab Thalamita K. Mezali and F. Slimane-Tamacha p. 23 crenata on sea cucumber juveniles in a sea farming site in Madagascar. Their results show Seasonal variation in food intake that predation by T. crenata is a key parameter to take into account when developing of Holothuria (Roweothuria) poli sandfish (Holothuria scabra) farming. Rogers et al. (p. 17–19) report on the first visual (Holothuroidea: Echinodermata) of documentation that sea turtles prey on sea cucumbers on a reef in Belize. Purcell et al. Stidia in Mostaganem, Algeria N.E. Belbachir and K. Mezali p. 27 (p. 20–22) examined and recorded the incidence of ectocommensal organisms on more than 60 hosts (including Thelenota anax and Stichopus vastus) collected at several sites around Lizard Island, on the northern Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Editor Mezali and Slimane-Tamacha (p. 23–26) describe a survey to better understand the rapidly Igor Eeckhaut Biology of Marine Organisms and developing sea cucumber fisheries in the Algerian territory. They conclude with a call for Biomimetics 6, Av. Champ de Mars the urgent implementation of nine measures to manage the fishery. University of Mons 7000 Mons Belgium Email: [email protected] Also in Algerian waters, Belbachir and Mezali (p. 27–31) studied the diet of Holothuria Production poli for four seasons in order to define the variation of the different trophic sources used Pacific Community BP D5, 98848 Noumea Cedex by this sea cucumber species. They note that several species of sea cucumbers can share the New Caledonia same habitat because they do not all use the same elements of the sediment for food. Fax: +687 263818 Email: [email protected] www.spc.int Produced with financial assistance from the government of Australia, the European Union, France and the New Zealand Aid Programme. 2 SPC Beche-de-mer Information Bulletin #40 – March 2020 Some holothurian species have been recorded for the first time in Annotated checklist of sea cucumbers from Pakistan Pakistan through two studies, the first from Moazzam and Moazzam with new records of Holothuria (Theelothuria) hamata (Pearson, 1913) and Stichopus herrmanni (Semper, (p. 32–39) and the second from Quratulan and Qader (p. 40–42). 1868) New records are also reported from Algeria by Benzait et al. (p. 43–45) M. Moazzam and N. Moazzam p. 32 and from Mayotte by Mulochau and Conand (p. 46–48). Holothurians from Pakistan: New addition of Holothuria (Theelothuria) notabilis (Ludwig, 1875) and Asexual reproduction of two sea cucumber species was studied rediscovery of Actinocucumis typica (Ludwig, 1875) from the Karachi coast, northern Arabian Sea by Borrero-Pérez in the Caribbean (p. 49–50) and Borrero-Pérez Q. Ahmed and Q.M. Ali p. 40 and Vanegas in the eastern Pacific (p. 51–52). Desbiens and Wolfe (p. 53–55) report some observations on Stichopus juveniles on a coral Note on Parastichopus regalis (Cuvier, 1817) from the Sidi-Medjdoub area of Mostaganem, Algeria reef in Palau, and Hartley et al. (p. 56–58) provide great photos of the H. Benzait et al. p. 43 spawning of Astichopus mollis at its northernmost subtropical locality. First occurrence of the species Holothuria coronopertusa in Mayotte, in the Indian Ocean Also included are various communications (p. 59), some about T. Mulochau et al. p. 46 workshops and conferences that were held in 2019. Congratulations Observations of asexual reproduction of Holothuria are expressed to Farah Slimane-Tamacha who presented her PhD (Platyperona) parvula (Selenka, 1867) in the titled “Sea cucumbers of the Holothuroiida order from the Ain Caribbean Sea Franine region (west coast of Algeria): Biology, ecology and G.H. Borrero-Pérez p. 49 exploitation” on 8 December 2019 at University Abdelhamid Ibn First record of asexual reproduction of Holothuria Badis, Mostaganem, Algeria. (Mertensiothuria) hilla (Lesson, 1830) in the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean G.H. Borrero-Pérez and M.J. Vanegas p. 51 We deeply regret the premature death of Professor Francour who was one of the pioneers in the study of sea cucumbers in the Mediterranean. Observations of juvenile Stichopus sp. on a coral reef in Palau A research team from the Abdelhamid Ibn Badis University in Algeria A. Desbiens and K. Wolfe p. 53 has written a touching tribute to Prof Francour that we reproduce in this issue (p. 62). Spawning of Australostichopus mollis at its northernmost subtropical locality S.L. Hartley et al. p. 56 Igor Eeckhaut COMMUNICATIONS P.S: In line with a worldwide trend to limit the impact of producing Workshop on sea cucumber identification printed publications on the environment, SPC has stopped the at La Réunion p. 59 production and distribution of printed copies of this and other PhD thesis p. 60 information bulletins. The BDM bulletin is now only produced in digital format and remains accessible from SPC’s website at: Publications related to holothurians, published in 2019 p. 61 http://www.spc.int/coastfish/en/publications/bulletins/beche- Tribute to Professor Patrice Francour p. 62 de-mer.html Sea cucumber trade in the Taiwan International Fisheries and Seafood Show p. 63 Conferences and symposiums p. 64 SPC Beche-de-mer Information Bulletin #40 – March 2020 3 Three species of teatfish to be protected by CITES Marie Di Simone,1 Arnaud Horellou1 and Chantal Conand2 Introduction the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), with the participation of the Sri Lankan and USA CITES Man- The 18th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP18) to agement Authority, SA France, WWF and Robin des Bois, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Spe- focused on the biology and the legal and illegal trade of teat- cies of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) (CITES Secretariat fish (Fig. 2). The second, organised by FAO, with interven- 2009a) was held in Geneva in August 2019. As a result of two tions from SA France, FAO and the Pacific Community, and a half years of work outlined in an article in the Beche-de- focused on the proposal itself, including its strengths and mer Information Bulletin “Towards a CITES listing of teat- weaknesses, and local fisheries management. The proposal fish” (Di Simone et al. 2019), the proposal to include three has been the subject of media coverage in 2019, such as the Holothuriidae (teatfish) species – Holothuria fuscogilva, H. magazine Le Marin, the radio programme France Inter and nobilis and H. whitmaei) in Appendix II was submitted by on the websites of Biological Diversity and Robin des Bois. the European Union (EU) and co-sponsored by the United States of America (USA), Seychelles, Kenya and Senegal. ...but somewhat contested Committee I of the conference debated the proposal on 25 August, and it was accepted by secret ballot, with 108 Par- There was no consensus, however, on the proposal, which is ties in favour and 30 against. After 17 years of discussions the real reason why discussions did not end with a consen- (Bruckner 2006; Robin des Bois 2019), three sea cucumber sus in Committee I. China, Papua New Guinea, Solomon species were, for the first time ever, listed in CITES Appen- Islands and Tonga, as well as other Asian, Pacific and Ocean- dix II on 28 August 2019 in plenary session. ian countries, did not support the proposal, mainly for fear of implementation difficulties and the needed and necessary A proposal widely supported.... capacity building, especially for small-scale and local fisheries. This listing proposal has received the support of a large num- These countries expressed concerns regarding the difficulties ber of Parties to CITES, including many intergovernmental of implementing this listing, including its impact on commu- organisations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization nities dependent on sea cucumbers for their livelihoods, as of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Union well as the significant management burden that would result for Conservation of Nature, and non-governmental organisa- from listing the teatfish (CITES Secretariat 2019b).