Although its scientific name is holoturia , it is colloquially known as cucumber or sea fuck. A kind of viscous pint and unattractive to the palate that, however, is a luxury delicacy in Asian cuisine, where false invigorating properties are attributed that are endangering its continuity on our coasts.

Investigators of the Nature Protection Service (Seprona) of the Civil Guard of Malaga are well aware of the lucrative illegal business that has been growing around the poaching of this species. Not surprisingly, in 2017 they made one of the largest seizures in the country. A total of 251 kilos that had captured a Malaga and two gaditanos.

The unit lieutenant explains to EL MUNDO that the consumption in Spain of this species is residual and that practically all of its poaching is destined for the Asian market, where it is considered a delicatessen, with false medicinal properties and a natural substitute for viagra .

The price it reaches in the black market varies according to its presentation: "It is paying around 900 euros for one kilogram crushed -for what is previously dehydrated-; and on the internet we have detected that they sell carrycotts of 20 to 25 kilos for quantities ranging between 150 and 75 euros, depending on whether sea cucumbers are clean or not. "

Most of the poachers are from the province of Cádiz, from where they travel to act along the Andalusian coast. His way of acting is almost mechanical, explains the sergeant in front of the patrol who fights at the beach this illegal fishing, which specifies that "they usually leave at three in the morning of Chipiona, for example, and move to the points in those who know that there are populations of this species to enter the water when dawn begins. "

"They take advantage of those hours to not be detected and usually act with both an oxygen bottle and diving in apnea", since sea cucumbers can be found at points near the shore , but also in cracks, semi-buried and in areas of greater depth .

Hong Kong, Japan ...

Although, as the agents explain, the large percentage of these individuals are from Cadiz, they have also detected sneaks from Malaga, and even Portuguese, who had moved to Andalusia to supposedly open up new marketing channels. "There are those who get to send this product by courier, but the usual thing is to contact members of the Chinese community so that they can send it out of the country -Hong Kong, Japan ...-", says the sergeant of Seprona, who emphasizes again and again that, despite popular legends and beliefs, this species has no invigorating properties nor is it a cure for diseases as serious as cancer.

The notable increase in demand is the reason for an overexploitation that "has practically sheared sea cucumbers in Cádiz, has seriously damaged their populations in Malaga and is beginning to affect the colonies of the waters of Granada," said sources cited to warn of the spread along the Andalusian coast of this illegal activity.

Faced with the irresponsibility of the poachers, the agents have administrative sanctions that vary according to the quantity and the stage of growth of the seized specimens. As with fish, immature capture is much more fined: "200 euros per kilo, once exceeded a cap."

However, despite the fact that the amounts of the sanctions can exceed thousands of euros, the Civil Guard agents run into a big problem to stop illegal fishing: "Most of the poachers declare themselves insolvent, " so that the administration's response is mitigated.

"Sea cucumbers are not a protected species, but their fishing requires permission," as well as others that also shear "some poachers that one day catch nettle, another octopus and then hedgehogs."

But apart from the serious environmental damage caused by this illegal activity, the agents warn of the danger that the consumption of specimens that "lack any type of sanitary control, that do not have traceability and that are transported in the trunk of a car car instead of in an isothermal vehicle. "

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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