Co‐Developed Science Solutions to Underpin a Growing Sea Cucumber Fishery in Torres Strait, Australia

ABSTRACT

Sea cucumber fisheries support the livelihoods of many coastal communities worldwide, providing a critical source of income and economic opportunities, particularly in developing tropical regions. Commercial sea cucumber species are usually processed from the fished live animal, through several intermediate stages, to a final dried product for retail sale. Fishery catch can therefore be reported in several different processing states, which requires conversion to a standard mass unit for fishery catch reporting and stock assessments. Sea cucumbers are one of the economically most important fisheries in Torres Strait, Zenadth Kes (Australia) supporting Indigenous fisher livelihoods and ongoing trade. Curryfish sea cucumbers— Stichopus herrmanni (Bambam aber) and S. vastus (Warwarr aber) are subject to increased fishing pressure in Torres Strait, due to expanding export markets and improved processing methods. They are among a few sea cucumber species that begin to disintegrate soon after being removed from the water and require immediate specialised processing. In collaboration with an Indigenous Torres Strait Islander fisher, we document the locally developed processing methods for Curryfish. Individual animal mass data for different processing states were used to calculate new species‐specific conversion ratios for Curryfish. The conversion ratios are key inputs to accurately track species catch against Total Allowable Catch to support sustainable fisheries management in Torres Strait. These new conversion ratios may be of benefit to other sea cucumber fisheries worldwide that target Curryfish. Moreover, Indigenous‐led processing expertise resulted in notable increases in dried yield compared to other studies, with potential to more broadly improve economic returns across the Indo‐Pacific.