ISSN 1025-4943 Issue 38 – March 2018 BECHE-DE-MER information bulletin Inside this issue Editorial Re-opening of the sea cucumber fishery in Papua New Guinea: A case study from This 38th issue of the SPC Beche-de-mer Information Bulletin includes the Tigak Islands in the New Ireland Province eighteen original articles. The first two relate to the Pacific Islands region. Cathy Hair et al. p. 3 Hair et al. highlight a case study of the sea cucumber fishery of the Tigak Islands (New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea), which was carried Length-weight relationship, movement rates, and in situ spawning observations out after the lifting of a seven-and-a-half year nationwide moratorium of Holothuria scabra (sandfish) in Fiji on sea cucumber fishing and the beche-de-mer trade (p. 3). Lee makes S. Lee et al. p. 11 observations about the length-weight relationship, movement rates and Commercially important sea cucumbers spawning of Holothuria scabra in Fiji (p. 11). on Geyser Bank (Scattered Islands – Gloriosos – Indian Ocean) Information is also reported from the Indo-Pacific region with Mulochau T. Mulochau p. 15 presenting first his study on the trading of sea cucumbers from Geyser Monitoring commercially important sea Bank (Scattered Islands, Gloriosos, Indian Ocean) (p. 15). In the following cucumber populations in the reefs of article, the same author describes the monitoring of commercially Mayotte (Indian Ocean) important sea cucumber populations in the reefs of Mayotte (Indian T. Mulochau p. 21 Ocean) (p. 21). The two next articles show different in situ observations: Discovery of Holothuria leucospilota Setyastuti et al. have discovered a Holothuria leucospilota natural nursery juveniles on Pai Island, Biak-Papua, and an overview of sea cucumber nursery on Pai Island, Biak-Papua (Indonesia) (p. 29) and Bourjon and Desvignes grounds in Indonesia describe asexual reproduction in a population of Holothuria difficilis A. Setyastuti et al. p. 29 (Echinodermata; Holothuroidea) at Reunion Island p. 37). Asexual reproduction in a population of Holothuria difficilis (Echinodermata; Four articles relate to experiments made in situ, in laboratories or in Holothuroidea) on Reunion Island hatcheries. Ahmed et al. made a pilot study on grow-out culture of P. Bourjon and T. Desvignes p. 37 H. scabra in bottom-set sea cages in lagoons of Maniyafushi Island (Kaafu Pilot study on grow-out culture of Atoll, Maldives) (p. 45). González-Wangüemert and Domínguez-Godino sandfish (Holothuria scabra) in bottom- assessed rehydration protocols on the dried sea cucumber Holothuria set sea cages in lagoon arguinensis (Portugal) (p. 51). Belbachir and Mezali studied the food H. Ahmed et al. p. 45 preferences of four aspidochirotid holothurians species (Holothuroidea: Assessing rehydration protocols on dried Echinodermata) that inhabit the Posidonia oceanica meadow of the sea cucumber Holothuria arguinensis M. González-Wangüemert et al. p. 51 Mostaganem area (Algeria) (p. 55). Todinanahary et al. investigated the influence of phytoplankton densities on the time of appearance of doliolaria and pentactula in sandfish hatcheries (Madagascar) (p. 60). Editor Igor Eeckhaut There are then two articles that are about bibliographic and statistical Marine Biology and bioimitation 6, Av. Champ de Mars analyses, which deal with the sea cucumber market and the illegal University of Mons fisheries. To et al. update news about the Hong Kong market (p. 64) and 7000 Mons Belgium Email: [email protected] Conand gives new information on worldwide illegal fisheries for sea Production cucumbers (p. 68). Pacific Community Fisheries Information Section SPC, BP D5, 98848 Noumea Cedex Diseases and parasites are the subjects of the two next articles. Burel shows New Caledonia strange blisters found on Holothuria scabra integument that occurred under Fax: +687 263818 Email: [email protected] fresh water influence (Madagascar) (p. 72) and Rogers et al. report on the www.spc.int/coastfish pearlfish Carapus bermudensis from the sea cucumber Holothuria mexicana Produced with financial assistance in Belize (Central America) (p. 73). from the government of Australia, the European Union, France and the New Zealand Aid Programme. 2 SPC Beche-de-mer Information Bulletin #36 – March 2016 Food preferences of four aspidochirotid holothurians Various short reports and communications end this species (Holothuroidea: Echinodermata) inhabiting issue such as the new data on the distribution of the sea the Posidonia oceanica meadow of Mostaganem area cucumber Molpadia musculus in Russian seas, given by (Algeria) Stepanov and Panina (p. 77). Quratulan et al. determine N.-E. Belbachir and K. Mezali p. 55 the effects of seasonal variation on the sea cucumber Potential influence of phytoplankton density on Ohshimella ehrenbergii weight–length relationships in doliolaria and pentactula appearances in sandfish hatcheries Pakistan (p. 79). Bermudes talks about the initiative G.G.B. Todinanahary et al. p. 60 led by the Pacific Community’s Fisheries, Aquaculture Trade patterns of beche-de-mer at the global hub for and Marine Ecosystems Division: participants from five trade and consumption – an update for Hong Kong Pacific Island countries took part in activities in Papua A.W.L. To et al. p. 64 New Guinea, Fiji and New Caledonia to improve their Recent information on worldwide illegal knowledge of sandfish (Holothuria scabra) aquaculture fisheries for sea cucumbers during October and November 2017 (p. 81). Léopold and C. Conand p. 68 Govinden detail the project SEACUSEY that focuses on the Holothuria scabra tegument blister under fresh management of the sea cucumber fishery in the Seychelles water influence, south-west of Madagascar (p. 85). A couple of pages are dedicated to observations of B. Burel p. 72 sea cucumbers spawning into the wild, made by Byrne and Pearlfish Carapus bermudensis from the sea Wolfe in Australia, and Champagnat and Moisson in the cucumber Holothuria mexicana in Belize Mediterranean Sea (p. 88 and 89). (Central America) A. Rogers et al. p. 73 We then propose information and communications, listing New data about distribution of the sea cucumber the workshops and conferences that were held in 2017 Molpadia musculus Risso, 1826 (Holothuroidea: Molpadiida: Molpadiidae) in Russian seas (p. 90) and those that will take place in 2018 (p. 94), a call V.G. Stepanov and E.G. Panina p. 77 for collaboration is relayed by Friedman (p. 95) and a list of Weight–length relationship of Sclerodactylidae publications related to holothurians that were published in sea cucumber, Ohshimella ehrenbergii (Selenka, 2017 is compiled by Conand (p. 99). 1868) (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea), from Karachi coast, Pakistan Finally, congratulations are expressed to Nathalie A. Quratulan et al. p. 79 Marquet who completed her PhD that is titled ‘Study of Did you say pislama, dairo, bislama, kereboki the reproductive biology and chemical communication of or bêche-de-mer? M. Bermudes p. 81 sea cucumbers (Holothuria arguinensis and H. mammata)’ (p. 100). SEACUSEY: Co-management of the sea cucumber fishery in the Seychelles (2017–2018) M. Léopold and R. Govinden p. 85 Igor Eeckhaut Spawning observations p. 88 COMMUNICATIONS P.S: In line with a worldwide trend to limit the impact of producing printed publications on the environment, SPC 2017 conferences p. 90 has decided to stop the production and distribution of Up-coming conferences p. 94 printed copies of this and other information bulletins. Call for collaboration from The SPC Beche-de-Mer Information Bulletin has only been Kim Friedman (FAO) p. 95 produced in digital format since issue #36. All issues remain Books and other information p. 97 accessible from SPC’s website at: Publications related to holothurians http://www.spc.int/coastfish/en/publications/bulletins/ published in 2017 p. 99 beche-de-mer.html PhD thesis p. 100 SPC Beche-de-mer Information Bulletin #38 – March 2018 3 Re-opening of the sea cucumber fishery in Papua New Guinea: A case study from the Tigak Islands in the New Ireland Province Cathy Hair1, Jeff Kinch2, Terencehill Galiurea, Posolok Kanawi3, Mathew Mwapweya, Joshua Noiney Abstract On 1 April 2017, the Papua New Guinea (PNG) nationwide moratorium on sea cucumber fishing and the beche-de-mer trade was lifted seven-and-a-half years after it was introduced. The National Fisheries Author- ity (NFA) had revised the National Bêche-de-mer Fishery Management Plan (the Plan) prior to the fishery opening and allocated provincial total allowable catch (TAC) quotas based on estimated fishable stocks of sea cucumber in each maritime province. This article presents the results of a study on the sea cucumber fishery (harvest of live animals, processing and selling of beche-de-mer) from three island communities in the Tigak Islands of the New Ireland Province (NIP). Almost 35,000 sea cucumbers that belong to 21 species were recorded from 10 days of catch monitoring. Catch composition and fishing patterns varied between villages and survey times. However, medium- and low-value species replaced high-value species and catch-per-unit-effort (by number and weight) decreased as the fishery progressed. The NIP fishery was closed eight weeks after opening, and the TAC of 43 tonnes (t) was exceeded by at least 36 t. Results from the study highlight the need to increase awareness of fisheries regulations (particularly species size limits to reduce the amount of undersized beche-de-mer that is brought in for sale), to strengthen the reporting requirements for companies and also to implement extension services to improve processing so as to lower the high rejection rates of poorly processed beche-de-mer. In the first year of opening, the NFA revised Plan was not administered properly, causing multiple problems in how the fishery operated in the study area and recommendations are made for improvements in future sea cucumber fishing seasons. Introduction provinces of the country, supporting up to 200,000 PNG villagers and providing as much as 30% of On 1 April 2017, the Papua New Guinea (PNG) annual villager income (Polon 2004; Kinch et al.