RAMESWARAM: Despite the government taking several measures, sea cucumber smuggling, it is learnt, is continuing unabated in the coastal districts. Sources said this year alone, nearly 9 tonnes of sea cucumber that were being smuggled were seized in Rameswaram and Mandapam regions.
Earlier this week, the Marine and forest department officials caught a man near Thangachimadam and 90 kilograms of live sea cucumber were seized from him.
Official sources said nearly 30 cases have been booked in the Mandapam forest range in 2022.
Speaking about the smuggling racket, Forest Range Officer, Mandapam range, Mahendran said, "There is a huge demand for the endangered sea cucumber that is listed under schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 in Southeast countries.
Mainly the smugglers collect the sea cucumbers which get trapped in fishing nets. Even some miscreants use shallow water netting to collect the sea cucumbers. Once it's collected miscreants smuggle it live or processed. If the sea cucumbers are processed, it loses one-third of its weight. So the miscreants tend to collect more sea cucumbers, leading to its population decline," he said.
He added the forest department is patrolling the coastline to prevent such smuggling of sea cucumbers and is also spreading awareness of the importance of the endangered species among fishermen. Meanwhile, State secretary of Tamil Nadu AITUC Fishermen Association in Rameswaram, C R Senthilvel, said, "A special ban has been in place on poaching of sea cucumbers for two decades. Over the time, its population has notably increased. Considering the welfare of the fishermen, the government should consider lifting the ban as the species have huge demand in the international market," he added.