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Indian Coast Guard seizes two tonnes of endangered sea cucumber

  • Posted By
    10Pointer
  • Categories
    Environment
  • Published
    21st Sep, 2021

The Indian Coast Guard team at Mandapam, Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu seized a two-tonne shipment of marine species sea cucumber, that was being smuggled via Indian waters.

Context

The Indian Coast Guard team at Mandapam, Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu seized a two-tonne shipment of marine species sea cucumber, that was being smuggled via Indian waters.

What are Sea Cucumbers?

  • Sea cucumbers are an important constituent of the marine ecosystem as they play an important role in maintaining the health of the ecosystem.
  • In India, sea cucumber is treated as an endangered species listed under schedule 1 of Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.

Smuggling

  • Sea cucumbers are in high demand in China and Southeast Asia, where it is consumed as food and used in medicine.
  • This endangered species is primarily smuggled from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka in fishing vessels from Ramanathapuram and Tuticorin districts.   

Significance

  • By excreting inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus, they enhance the productivity of benthic animals - those living on the ocean floor.   
  • One of the by-products of the sea cucumber's digestion of sand is calcium carbonate, a key component of coral reef.
  • To survive, coral reefs must accumulate calcium carbonate, and thus sea cucumbers play a vital role in their preservation.  
  • Sea cucumbers also maintain the transparency of seawater by eating sewage. Feeding and excretion by sea cucumbers also increases alkalinity, which counteracts ocean acidification.   
  • Illegal harvesting and overexploitation of these animals leads to poorer sediment health, reduces nutrient recycling and impacts biodiversity.  

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