The global extinction of tropical sea cucumbers is a real concern, with at least 16 species facing threats due to overfishing for the luxury seafood market, pollution, and habitat destruction, according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
At Beche, we are ensuring that our sea cucumber supply comes from sustainable sources. Indeed, Bêche gets all of its raw material directly from Ocean Pride Fisheries, a company that’s continuously researching and learning about the North Atlantic Sea Cucumber with a goal of maintaining a sustainable and viable harvest for generations to come.
Ocean Pride has been granted exclusive harvesting rights in designated areas of the Atlantic Ocean under the Territorial User Rights Fisheries (T.U.R.F.) program by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). To make sure those areas are harvested sustainably, they have established a rotational harvest strategy which means fishing grounds are divided into zones that are fished cyclically, with some zones closed to fishing while others are opened.
While rotational fisheries are effective, it’s also important to consider the specific characteristics of the fish species and the ecosystem to ensure the management strategy is appropriate. This is why Ocean Pride has partnered with Dr. Don Stewart of Acadia University and Dr. Tim Rawlings of Cape Breton University to study the genetic structure of the North Atlantic Sea Cucumber. Under their supervision, Acadia University MSc candidate Mathew Penney (seen here) is using cutting edge next-gen DNA sequencing technology, known as RADseq, to better understand Atlantic Sea Cucumber population structure. The goal of this work is to help Ocean Pride detect relationships between beds of sea cucumber to make sustainable and effective fisheries management decisions.
Furthermore, Ocean Pride is also working with Dalhousie University’s Aquatron Marine Affairs research department to take part in a long-term animal growth frequency study. This study is to try and better determine the annual growth rates of this species of sea cucumber. The study is currently still underway.
In addition to understanding the species and applying the appropriate fisheries management approach, it’s essential to continuously monitor the fishing grounds to ensure the strategy remains effective and sustainable. This is why Ocean Pride uses advanced technology in their fishing vessels, and more specially underwater cameras to monitor populations. In 2020, Ocean Pride partnered with the United Nations Association In Canada and Canada Green Corps to work on a project that uses a remote camera to see how much sea cucumber can be harvested while still keeping a healthy population of this superfood in our ocean. Erica Messenger (pictured here aboard the MV Roland Frederick), a recent graduate of Memorial University with a Masters in Fisheries Management, has been working as a Junior Science Technician with our Senior Scientist Mark Lundy to study and monitor population. Ocean Pride has since been monitoring the population with cameras on an ongoing basis.
