The Survey of Sea Cucumber Fisheries on Qeshm Island Coasts (Persian Gulf)

Sea cucumbers are aquatic animals of wide variety, useful for human health. Sea cucumbers are among the aquatic creatures that have many important and useful properties known for human health. Increasing demand for beche-de-mer, along with steady price increases, has led to worldwide intensification of sea cucumber harvesting. The rearing of sea cucumbers with shrimps controls environmental pollution that results from over- enrichment in nutrients, built up on the pond bottom.

These animals eat detritus and, together with devouring organic materials on the surface, not only do they clean the environment, but also they cause the fast growth of shrimps and themselves. Holothuria scabra is the main species for production of beche-de-mer and is exploited especially in the tropical regions of the world. The wall of the body used in the process of beche-de-mer production forms 56% of the whole body. Holothuria scabra (sandfish) is an aspidochirote holothurian widely distributed in coastal regions throughout the Indo-Pacific region. H. scabra is often found on inner reef flats and near estuaries, half-buried in silty sand during the day and emerging at night to feed.

In this study, based on information from local fishermen on Qeshm Island, we provide some data about the fishing methods, processing and distribution on the Qeshm Island coastline. Comparative study of fishing status with another part of the world determined that the status of sea cucumber stocks in Qeshm Island is sustainable. For prevention of overexploitation of the sandy sea cucumber, prohibition on capturing should continue.

In this study, seven exploited sites are recognized, the target size for fishermen was more than 20 cm and sandy cucumber was the target species in Qeshm Island. In this area, the fishing operation was only carried out by scuba diving and was done only by men; although in another countries women have an important role in sea cucumber fishing activities. Among the coasts around Qeshm Island, it is found at Hmoon, Tolla, Kovei, Ramchah, Messen and Hengam. A maximum length of 35 cm and maximum weight of 1,080 g was recorded.