- 13 July 2021

Installation of the first sea cucumber farm in Touho in the Northern Province

Implementation of an innovative sea cucumber breeding project in the northern zone of the Touho airfield.

Within the framework of the PROTEGE project and with the support of ADECAL Technopole, Marie Renée Pabouty, a fisherwoman from the Koé tribe in Touho, requested technical assistance from the North Province's aquatic environment and resources department to set up an innovative sea cucumber farming project. Her project is located in the northern area of the Touho airfield, near the land-based marine concession of her fishing dock.

The installation of the wooden poles and net took place over two days on 27 and 28 May 2021 in the presence of the town hall and customary representatives. This technique, which is new to the territory, made it possible to set up a first park of 700m² that is perfectly enclosed. A second park will be installed on 24 and 25 June at the same location in a slightly deeper area. A third will be set up in a tank at the Webuihoone shrimp farm, in order to compare survival and growth rates. The holothurians in the tank will be transferred to the Touho foreshore at a size of 80-100g to complete their growth and reach a commercial size of over 500g.

The objective of this tank culture is to protect the juveniles from predators until they become young adults and are released on the foreshore, thus contributing to a reinforcement of natural recruitment and providing an economic resource with high added value. This innovative type of breeding is of great interest to the local population and has been supported by the Hô-üt association.