The Ministry of Fisheries advises the public that the ban on harvesting and trading sea cucumbers (also known as holothurians or beche-de-mer) will be temporarily lifted from 1 February 2026 to 31 July 2026, subject to strict conditions under the Offshore Fisheries Management Regulations 2014.
Harvesting Period
• Sea cucumbers may be harvested from 1 February 2026 to 31 May 2026 only.
• The following species are NOT allowed to be harvested or traded at any time, as they are protected under CITES Appendix II:
• White teat fish (Sucuwalu)
• Black teat fish (Loaloa)
• Golden sand fish (Dairokula)
• Amber fish
• Prickly red fish (Sucudrau)
Export Period
• Approved companies are given two months (1 June to 31 July 2026) to clean, process and export beche-de-mer.
• Processing and export must be done at an approved HACCP-certified facility.
• No exports are allowed after 31 July 2026.
Rotational Harvesting Areas
• The Ministry of Fisheries will publish an official Gazette notice showing:
• Approved harvesting areas
• Dates and duration of harvesting
• Harvesting, selling, possessing or trading sea cucumbers is only allowed in approved areas and during approved times.
• Any activity outside the approved schedule is illegal and punishable by law.
Licensing Requirement
• Anyone who wants to harvest, sell, transport, buy, receive or possess sea cucumbers must hold a valid fishing licence issued under the Fisheries Act 1941.
Allowed Harvesting Methods
• Free diving and gleaning are allowed.
• The use of underwater breathing equipment or hookah diving is strictly prohibited.
Landing Sites
• All harvested sea cucumbers must be landed only at Ministry-approved landing sites.
Buying and Collection Rules
• Approved exporters must not receive sea cucumbers directly at factories from individual fishers.
• Purchases can only be made by exporters’ agents or workers at approved landing sites.
Processing and Export Rules
• Processing and export are allowed only from 1 June to 31 July 2026.
• Exporters must buy sea cucumbers that are:
• Legal species
• Within approved size limits
• Banned species and undersized sea cucumbers are strictly prohibited.
• Exporters or agents who fail to comply will be penalised.
Important Reminder
The export permission does NOT apply to the following protected species at any time:
• Black teat fish (Loaloa)
• White teat fish (Sucuwalu)
• Golden sand fish (Dairokula)
• Amber fish
• Prickly red fish (Sucudrau)
Penalties
Any person or company that breaches these conditions will face penalties under the law.