Adaptive and integrated culture production systems for the tropical sea cucumber Holothuria scabra

Unregulated harvesting and trade have resulted in the depletion of the sea cucumber resources worldwide. Culture-based production and resource management systems are being developed to restore depleted populations and increase the supply of premium-grade sized Holothuria scabra. An adaptive and integrated socio-ecological framework to optimize production potentials and enhance sustainability through production clusters is proposed. The viability of this was tested in northern Palawan and south central Mindanao in partnership with commercial marine fish culture companies and small-scale fishers. The culture production system adopted in each site depended on existing facilities, climate and access to suitable nursery and grow-out areas. Adoption of different ocean nursery and grow-out systems, coupled with spatio-temporal planning reduced environmental constraints and increased juvenile production. Community trials validated that ocean-based systems can be readily adopted by small-scale fishers. The availability of a range of cost-effective production methods for post-metamorphic juveniles provided opportunity for participation of diverse stakeholders including small-scale fishers. Understanding of the biophysical and economic considerations for different production systems, and the relative capacity of stakeholders to manage threats, reduces their vulnerability to economic loses. Multi-sectoral involvement and multiplication of sandfish production clusters confer resilience for production systems and enable economies of scale while facilitating responsible management of genetic stocks.