Tamil Nadu: Indian Coast Guard seizes sea cucumber worth Rs 8 crore in Mandapam

In Mandapam, Tamil Nu, Indian Coast Guard (ICG) captured two tonnes of sea cucumber worth Rs 8 crores. Working on a tip concerning unlawful sea cucumber transhipment, a forbidden marine species, ICG team, went into action in early hours of Sunday and followed suspected boat involved in alleged smuggling.

According to a senior forest officer, a patrol observed boat cruising around suspiciously near Pamban, and Coast Guard was notified. ICG personnel were also dispatched in Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay areas to effectively cut off boat's possible maritime escape path, according to report. boat was later discovered anchored around 15 kilometres south of Mandapam, without its crew, at 10.30 am on Sunday and was boarded by a Coast Guard unit, according to ICG. 

ICG collects 200 gunny bags of sea cucumber weighing 2000 kg

report says that boarding team of ICG Hovercraft H-183 collected 200 gunny bags of sea cucumber weighing 2000 kg. boat was hauled to Mandapam near Rameshwaram and handed over to forest officials with seized sea cucumbers. captured sea cucumbers are estimated to be worth around Rs 8 crores.

According to inquiry, consignment was scheduled for transhipment across International Maritime Boundary Line during dark hours. In China and Souast Asia, sea cucumbers are in high demand. ICG recovered about 1200 kg of sea cucumber near Mandapam earlier this month and arrested two people. In India, sea cucumber is classified as an endangered species under Schedule I of 1972 Wildlife Protection Act. It is primarily smuggled into Sri Lanka by fishing vessels from districts of Ramanathapuram and Tuticorin in Tamil Nu.

More about sea cucumbers

Echinoderms of Holothuroidea class make up sea cucumbers. y are elongated sea animals with a single, branching gon and leary skin. Sea cucumbers can be found all over world on ocean floor. re are around 1,717 holothurian species worldwide, with Asia Pacific area having most. Many are harvested for human consumption, while some are raised in aquaculture systems.

(Inputs from ANI)

Image: ANI