Market potential and challenges for expanding the production of sea cucumber in South-East Asia

Sea cucumbers are fished worldwide, with more than 50 species commercially exploited. In South-East Asia, important sources of sea cucumber are Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia, with Singapore and Hong Kong being major export destinations. The product is popular among oriental consumers due to its alleged ability to improve vigour and cure a number of ailments. Supply in South-East Asia is declining due to overfishing. While significant volume is being produced from sea ranching and pond culture, this is not enough to offset rapidly declining collection from the wild. This and the increasing demand for the product have kept prices at attractive levels. Nevertheless, high prices do not translate to improved income for coastal households as individual catch size remains small and the cost per unit of fishing effort high. The market offers high premiums for well-dried, good-quality sea cucumber. However, primary processing, which is the sole determinant of product quality, remains mostly at the village level, which employs traditional practices. The nature of the fishery itself, which is characterised by small catch volumes per day, leads to diseconomies of size, constraining large processing facilities that are compliant with ‘good manufacturing practice’ (GMP) and ‘hazard analysis critical control point’ (HACCP) standards from engaging in the business. The market also operates in the absence of officially formulated grades and standards that would guide transactions along the value chain.

The marketing system for sea cucumber in South-East Asia is generally inefficient, and marketing channels are multilayered. Information asymmetry encourages proliferation of redundant players in the distribution system, while high transaction costs keep the overall marketing margin high but the price received by collectors low. Unlocking the full potential of the sea cucumber industry calls for a set of well-conceived strategies that would sustain supply from the wild, increase the supply from aquaculture, improve primary processing and remove the inefficiencies in the distribution system. Emerging systems for more-efficient processing of the product should also be explored to address issues of economies of scale and improve returns on investment for GMP- and HACCP-compliant facilities, as well as the incomes of fishers and farmers.