A synthesis from 40 years of Pacific Island sea cucumber export Dr Hampus Eriksson 2017-03-16 H.Eriksson@cgiar.org

Globalized networks for BDM To understand the forces at play in driving the fishery This illustration is of Hong Kong trade statistics COUNTRY OF ORIGIN RED Surging number of source countries 35 to 83 BLUE Compensating exercise Contagious- does NOT follow patterns of increasing distance from Hong Kong Lootable Eriksson et al. 2015, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment

Spatial impact of Chinese BDM market 1. The sea cucumber sourcing network now expands more than 90% of tropical coastline 2. Contemporary seafood sourcing networks can rapidly outpace institutions and have considerable spatial reach and impact. 3. A reflection of our globalised world 4. How can such a resilient and forceful sourcing system be governed in a way that is advantageous to countries and small-scale fishing communities Eriksson et al. 2015, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment

Forty years of Pacific Island production Melanesia Polynesia Micronesia SPC compiled 40 years of trade statistics until 2013 Since 1971 these PICTs have recorded over 32,000 t of beche-de-mer exports. Annual sea cucumber production from the region peaked in 1992 at 2,043 t (Figure 1). Melanesian countries exported considerably more sea cucumbers than countries from Polynesia or Micronesia. Exports from Melanesia fell sharply from 2010, responding to fisheries closures in PNG, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands. In contrast, Polynesia and Micronesia have more recently increased exports from re- openings of fisheries, notably in Tonga (Polynesia) and in Palau and Marshall Islands (Micronesia). 2010 was the first and only time in history that Polynesia produced more BDM than Melanesia Eriksson et al in review

Pacific Island contribution to Hong Kong imports have diminished 1998: ~ 50 % 2011: ~15 % Trend driven by: Declining exports from Pacific Islands Growing number of producing countries The region’s historical production pattern is mirrored in Hong Kong imports: in 1998 the Pacific contributed nearly half of total Hong Kong sea cucumber imports, however this fell to 14% in 2011. The percentage contribution is influenced both by increased imports from a growing number of other countries in the world and a decline in exports from the Pacific. Eriksson et al in review

Eriksson et al in review ADDED SLIDE: Evaluate how national exports match imports to Hong Kong 1996 2011 1996 2011 Eriksson et al in review

Fishery profiles Four profile dimensions A Total export B Coefficient of variance C Boom duration D Peak boom Tonnes 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 Eriksson et al in review

Eriksson et al in review

Explanatory variables From a range of social and ecological variables, land area influenced fishery production dynamics the most Land area indicate land based nutrient input and coastline complexity and varying degrees of productive and diverse interconnected sea cucumber habitats between countries Two conclusions (at the country-level): Fisheries have been exploited to their environmental limits Fisheries models need to be tailored to operate within these limits Fisheries need to be reigned in within these ungovernable factors Eriksson et al in review

Fishing intensity guidelines Evaluating and adjusting according to this historical measure can help identify rates of national exploitation that might be sustained over longer periods than past booms and busts. First, historical fishing intensity per unit area measurements, coupled with understanding about fishery status, can help tailor exploitation levels at the national level. For example, Tonga has exported about 41 kg year-1 km-2 shallow water (0–30 m depth) and fishing periods have been followed by extended closures due to overfishing. Evaluating and adjusting this measure can help identify rates of exploitation that might be sustained over longer periods than past booms and busts. This measure does not reveal what sustainable rates of extraction are, but it indicates at what rates overfishing has occurred historically. Eriksson et al in review

Reference abundances Pakoa et al 2014 Second, abundance assessments can inform management about impact and recovery when snap- shot in-water stock surveys are repeated through time. Through extensive fishery independent in- water surveys across 17 PICTs, SPC have provided early suggestions of what might constitute densities for “healthy” sea cucumber stocks for 18 commercial species (see table 6 in Pakoa et al. 2014). These abundance measures are valuable references for future assessments and to inform managers when there are no local baselines to compare against. This is in my view, the best data set in the world for this purpose.