Sea Cukes Close Galapagos

They are called "Sea Cucumbers", but actually resemble more burnt,
black gurkins. They are found in depths of 30 or 40 meters, in the
Pacific waters off of the world-famous Galapagos Islands. As recently
as ten years ago they were ignored or trashed by Ecuadorian fishermen
as worthless
bottom
feeders,
but
thanks
to
a bizarre Japanese conviction that they have aphrodisiac properties,
they are in great demand and command high prices.  So much so
that harvesting them is like scraping dollar bills off of the sea floor,
and they are in danger of extinction.

As a result, and spurred by technological organizations, the Ecuadorian
Fishing Minister has declared a limited three-month harvesting season
this year, and a total prohibition on sea cucumber harvesting
during 2005 and 2006.

In those ten short years an entire industry has grown up around
the sea cucumbers, and now close to a thousand Ecuadorian Indians,
residents
of the Galapagos Islands make their livings harvesting them for Japanese
buyers. These native American fishermen quite logically see their livelihood
threatened by the government measures, and as a result have taken control
of the national park with occupies most of Galapagos,
effectively shutting them down to the international tours and environmental
groups that study
and preserve them.

The economics of sea cucumber fishing is astounding. It is actually
more like sweeping five dollar bills off of the ocean floor. The actual
divers who go down to about 100 feet with thin rubber air hoses get almost
nothing; the owners of canoes and light craft they operate from are the
first group to really make some serious money off the trade. They sell
bags of 100 pepinos for prices ranging from $80 to $250 dollars, depending
on supply and demand.

The fishermen can earn $80 to $100 a day; the boat owners can get up
to $1,000.  This is far more than any other occupation could bring
in.

The problem is that the sea cucumbers, which recycle sea garbage, aerate
the sandy sea bottom, and form a vital link in the marine ecosystem,
are in danger of being harvested into extinction. The many powerful environmental
groups active in the Galapagos are unanimous in their opposition to the
harvest.  And lately, the Ecuadorian government, dependent on the
money and fame the island tourism brings in, are listening, leading to
the prohibition on the trade.

In response, the Indian fishermen have largely shut the Islands down
as a tourist destination.  Tours from Europe, Asia and the United
States have been hurriedly canceled. Hundreds of tourists already in
Ecuador or on boats are unable to visit the Islands themselves. And rumors
abound that the enraged Indians, who consider the Environmentalists foreign
buttinskis, have taken activists and scientists hostage.

In most cases, environmentalists and indigenous inhabitants are on the
same side in these controversies.  However, in this case, it seems
clear to the Dowbrigade that the good guys are the Environmentalists
and the Ecuadorian government, rather than the get-rich quick Indians
and the sex-mad Asians. Not to mention the cute and non-aggressive cucumbers
themselves…

from El
Universo (Spanish)

from Reuters (English)