Holothurian Fisheries in the Hellenic Seas: Seeking for Sustainability

Abstract

In Mediterranean, the exploitation and exportation of holothurians as food is increasing during the last 25 years, with Turkey and Greece as leading countries. In Greece, the fishery is expanding by the development of two métiers; however, official monitoring is missing, creating concerns on the future viability of the industry. To evaluate the status and future perspectives of holothurian fisheries, an extensive field survey has been completed (May 2019–July 2021) covering 162 sites dispersed in the Hellenic Seas. Field data included the assessment of the abundance of holothurians (via 100 m transect replicates), and catch per unit of effort (CNPUE and CBPUE, based on 10-min commercial fishing practices). H. tubulosa, H. poli, H. mammata and H. sanctori were fished in 41.35% of the surveyed stations. H. poli (CNPUE 168 specimens, CBPUE 22.24 kg) and H. tubulosa (CNPUE 127 specimens, CBPUE14.51 kg) were the most common species, forming locally dense populations. Mean annual catch was 275 metric tons (2016–2021) according to the processing of the units’ data; 62% of the production was made by H. tubulosa and 38% by H. poli. Our results suggest the existence of exploitable grounds in the north Aegean, the central Cyclades, and the north Dodecanese, according to the prevalent environmental conditions (organic load) and fishing pressure.