People are finally catching on to what fish have long known – the humble sea cucumber is just as well served as a dish in its own right than merely used as bait to catch something bigger.
The creature, which traditionally has been used as bait in Greece, has acquired a high export value because of its nutritional and pharmaceutical properties making it a favoured ingredient in international dishes.
It is also valued by the Chinese who claim it has aphrodisiac properties and are looking to buy it in large quantities.
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There has been such interest in the echinoderm, particularly off the waters of Kalymnos and Leros islands, that the South Aegean regional authority is already issuing fishing licences specifically for the sea cucumber.
The Greek environment ministry has approved a study throughout the Dodacanese islands to look at the commercial exploitation of the sea cucumber.
The sea cucumber feeds on the sea floor off the detritus of other sea creatures and plays a key role in “cleaning up” marine ecosystems around the world.
