Although Tonga's six month fishing season for sea cucumbers opened on April 1, the quota for this year's export harvest has not been set and licenses have not been issued to operators.

The Department of Fishery sets the quota for the exports of dried processed beche-de-mer in kilograms, which they assign according to each species and for each island group.

It is understood 10 operators are to be awarded export licenses this year but so far none have been issued.

The fishing of sea cucumbers to be processed as dried beche de mers for export to Asian markets was only lifted last year after 11 years of closure. In lifting the ban for six months of the year, the Tonga Government closes it again from October 1 to March 31, during the spawning season to ensure sustainable management of the fishery.

Last year a total of nine companies were awarded export licenses consisting of three each in Tongatapu, Vava'u and Ha'apai.

This year the 10 export companies, three each in Tongatapu, Vava'u, Ha'apai and one in Niuatoputapu.

Exports

On April 8 the Head of Fisheries Department, Dr Sione Vailala Matoto confirmed Tonga earned around $2 million pa'anga in foreign revenue last year from the exportation of 15 tonnes of processed dried bech-de-mers mainly to China, Hong Kong and Singapore.

In addition close to $1 million pa'anga was generated locally from the direct selling of the raw sea cucumbers from fishers to licensed exporters, he added.