Sea cucumbers are a highly valued marine resource in Asia and along Mediterranean coasts, and the search for new species in other distribution areas has increased due to the overexploitation of traditional fisheries. In Galicia, the exploitation of Holothuria forskali began in 2016 with the approval of the first management plans for the fishermen’s guilds of Cangas, O Grove, A Coruña, and Barallobre. Despite the high catches (50 tons in 2016) and the granting of new management plans in Galicia, many aspects of the biology of this species are still unknown. In response to these needs, the fishermen’s guild of Cangas and the CIM-UVigo Center of Excellence carried out monitoring of the reproductive cycle and began designing the research and collaboration lines needed to expand studies on this resource, in order to ensure its sustainable fishery exploitation.
On May 18, Tania Ballesteros, research support technician in the area of biological resources and marine aquaculture at the CSIM-ECIMAT Center of Excellence, presented the first results of the study on the reproductive cycle of the sea cucumber Holothuria forskali in the Ría de Vigo, as well as the research lines currently being developed.
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For more information about the work presented, you can read the article published on the ECIMAT blog, “Reproductive Cycle of the Sea Cucumber Holothuria forskali in the Ría de Vigo and Its Application in Fishery Management.”
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