Question : Sea Cucumber

(a) the details of list of endangered marine species under schedule-1 of the Wild Life Protection Act (WLPA);
(b) whether the Government has also included sea cucumber in the said list;
(c) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
(d) whether the Government has received requests from the Public Representatives that fishermen have been adversely affected due to ban on fishing Sea Cucumber and have demanded lifting the ban; and
(e) if so, the details thereof and the time by which the Government is likely to lift ban on fishing Sea Cucumber?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

(a) The list of endangered species in Indian sea/waters listed in the Schedule-1 of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, is at Annexure.

(b) and (c) Sea Cucumbers (All Holothurians) are listed in Part IV C of Schedule-1 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. Sea cucumbers are important components of the coral reef ecosystem. They play an important role as deposit feeders and suspension feeders. The population and distribution of most economically important species of Sea Cucumbers were found to be drastically reduced and therefore, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had vide Gazette Notification dated 11.07.2001 included Sea Cucumbers in Schedule-1 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to accord them the highest degree of protection.


(d) and (e)The Ministry has received request from people’s representative for considering lifting of ban on Sea Cucumbers as fishermen of southern Tamil Nadu were affected due to the ban.

No specific time limit has been fixed for lifting the ban on Sea Cucumbers



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