Hygienic and commercial issues related to the illegal fishing and processing of sea cucumbers in the Mediterranean: A case study on over-exploitation in Italy between 2015 and 2017

Seven species of sea cucumbers can be found in the Mediterranean Sea. In the last decades, the harvesting of sea cucumbers for “bêche-de-mer” has become increasingly important in the Mediterranean region due to increasing consumer demands in Asia as well as moratoriums in many producing countries, particularly from the Pacific Islands Region. In the European Union, the harvesting of sea cucumbers is authorized only in production areas classified by a Competent Authority. However, the over-exploitation of sea cucumbers is a concern and has contributed to low stocks of natural populations in some localities. Recently, illegal fishing of sea cucumbers has been reported with increasing frequency along the Italian coasts of the Mediterranean basin, accounting for 52,930 kg of seized products between 2015 and 2017. Moreover, illegal processing plants where sea cucumbers were being processed without the minimum hygiene requirements have been closed and product seized. In this case study, the main problems related to the illegal fishing, processing and marketing of sea cucumbers in Italy have been analysed through a lens of major sanitary and regulatory requirements.