Over-exploitation of sea cucumbers damages ecosystem: HC

One should not forget that over-exploitation of sea cucumbers not only damages the marine ecosystem but the human ecosystem as well, more particularly the fishermen’s. They both are interdependent, ob

One should not forget that over-exploitation of sea cucumbers not only damages the marine ecosystem but the human ecosystem as well, more particularly the fishermen’s. They both are interdependent, observed the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court while dismissing bail petitions of an accused who had illegally possessed sea cucumbers worth crores of rupees. Justice B. Pugalendhi said that over exploitation of sea cucumbers would decrease sediment health, reduce nutrient recycling and potential benefits of deposit feeding to seawater chemistry. It would diminish the biodiversity of associated symbionts and reduce the transfer of organic matter from detritus to higher trophic levels.