Green Celebrity
Wed, 13 Jun 2012 15:50:42 GMT | By PTI

UNDP funded sea cucumber survey underway in Bay of Bengal

Chennai: The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) is conducting a study on the population status of sea cucumber along the Coromandal Coast, based on whose report the Centre would decide on whether to lift the ban on fishing the leathery echinoderm.

UNDP funded sea cucumber survey underway in Bay of Bengal

"Based on the request made by Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve Trust (GoMBRT), the Zoological Survey of India is doing the survey. The study is being funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)," official sources said.

The sample of trawling study would bring to light whether the population of the bioturbators have gone down, following frequent cases of illegal fishing and shipping the marine species to Eastern countries where they are in great demand.

"In many eastern countries, sea cucumbers are in great demand, as they are believed to have aphrodisiac and other medicinal properties. But, since sea cucumbers are abundant in the Coromandal Coast and their texture fished here are supposed to be good, they are illegally fished", the sources said. Seven of the 25 trawlings planned for the study have been completed.

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