- 13 July 2021

Transfer of the first sea cucumbers to the Touho breeding park, Northern Province

First test transfer of 500 sea cucumber juveniles.

A long-awaited first test transfer of 500 juvenile sea cucumbers was successfully carried out at the home of Marie Renée Pabouty, a fisherwoman from the Koé tribe in Touho, following the installation of the rearing park. Marie Renée's teams, accompanied by the North Province's aquatic environment and resources department and with the support of ADECAL Technopole and PROTEGE, have developed an innovative sea cucumber rearing project with pens capable of holding more than 2000 juveniles.

To carry out this first test transfer, the 5 to 11 centimetre long juveniles were transported dry in temperature-controlled coolers (16 to 18°C). The purpose of the cold is to place the sea cucumbers in a state of lethargy to avoid evisceration and stunted growth. The journey from the SEA Ouenghi hatchery to Touho (270 km, i.e. a 5-hour journey) was therefore a real challenge. On arrival, no individuals were eviscerated. A check was carried out 2 days after the transfer: no mortality was noted and 80% of the holothurians had already begun to make their furrows in the sediment.

The cleaning and burrowing action of the sea cucumbers improves the aeration of the soil and thus favours the development of shellfish, which are themselves essential in the diet of many fish. Thus, like the earthworm, the sea cucumber is the keystone of a whole food chain and its presence therefore ensures a better productivity of the environment, from the sand to the fish that Marie Renée has always brought back from her fishing.

With the success of this first operation, all those involved will now monitor the growth of the transferred individuals and hope for an optimal survival rate. Future transfers are planned with 4000 additional individuals in Touho.