Sea cucumbers worth ₹1 cr seized in Lakshadweep

MUMBAI: A fresh consignment of 54 sea cucumbers weighing around 51.5 kg worth ₹1 crore was seized near Agatti Airport, Lakshadweep on Thursday. This comes amid the Central Bureau of Investigation taking over all major sea cucumber poaching offence cases in Lakshadweep.

Acting on a tip-off, the Lakshadweep Sea Cucumber Protection Task Force seized the consignment consisting dead sea cucumbers processed with preservatives and kept ready for further transportation to mainland, said officials.

Officials said organised networks in Lakshadweep which export sea cucumbers for shortterm monetary gains have been destroying the natural ecosystem. “We have learnt that the latest recovered consignment may have been part of six other similar ones (which are yet to be traced). This highlights that the illegal trade is still at large. Based on the size of the species, we believe they have been hunted from uninhabited islands where such large sea cucumbers are found,” said Damodhar AT, secretary of department of environment and forest and chief wildlife warden of Lakshadweep administration.

A case has been registered under the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), and further investigation is underway to nab the offenders, he said.

Marine biologist and director of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) Deepak Apte said the issue needs to be investigated at both national and international scale on priority. “This is about the sovereignty of the territorial waters, because we are unaware of the links of these offenders. Unless punishments are strong, such risks will continue,” said Apte. “The fishing community has to be made aware that this is illegal. They should also be made aware that historically they have been a nature conservation-oriented community, and that such acts tarnish the image of islanders.”

Meanwhile, the Union environment ministry has agreed to form Lakshadweep Marine Wildlife Protection Force by engaging 350 personnel, who will be placed across 10 the islands.