Understanding the sea cucumber (beche-de-mer) value chain in Fiji and Tonga

As reported in other Pacific island communities and many countries around the world, wild stocks of sea cucumber in Fiji and Tonga are declining because of unsustainable levels of fishing. The Pacific Agribusiness Research for Development Initiative (PARDI) is a partnership involving the Secretariat of Pacific Community, the University of the South Pacific and a consortium of Australian universities, funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. PARDI seeks to create sustainable livelihoods by identifying constraints to economic development in the Pacific islands region, and by developing appropriate technologies or products to resolve these constraints. It is currently evaluating the sea cucumber industry and its contribution to community livelihoods in Tonga and Fiji. This paper presents preliminary literature search findings of the PARDI study into sea cucumber market chains in these two Pacific island countries. Although an initial literature review revealed a scarcity of reliable information, interim maps of the current supply chains of both Fiji and Tonga have been developed and are discussed here. Research outcomes may lead to improvements in processing, value-adding to beche-de-mer and identification of new niche markets, and may facilitate investment in sea ranching and aquaculture.