REPORTS OF ILLEGAL BECHE-DE-MER HARVESTING RESURFACED
Dried beche-de-mer. Photo credit: Solomon Times.
Reports have resurfaced after a long spell that certain people have restarted the illegally harvesting and sale of beche-de-mer.
A number of Asians are reportedly buying these sea cucumbers in large quantity allegedly for consumption.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources yesterday reported, it is aware of such reports.
But Fisheries deputy director, Rosalie Masu told a radio talk show yesterday, current beche-de-mer harvesting, sale and export ban has not been lifted.
Ms. Masu says the Ministry of Fisheries is monitoring the situation at targeted spots including Honiara and Noro to restrain the illegal harvest and sale of the sea resource.
“The management measures we are doing now is to be looking at vessels coming into Honiara and focus mainly on Honiara because exports points are in Honiara and Noro at the moment, so those are the two main bases we will be monitoring in terms of any illegal beche-de-mer trade.”