Tongan fisheries officials fear that a new extension to the sea cucumber harvesting season and an increase in licences is going to drive the resource back a decade, when it was overfished to the point of depletion.

An 11-year ban on sea cucumber harvesting in Tonga was partially lifted last year, but now with politicians opening the way for an onslaught of harvesting by more operators for a longer season, it appears that sea cucumber management research is being ignored.

The extension of the harvesting of an unlimited quantity of sea cucumber from the end of September to October, then to November 30, is causing a big headache to Tonga's fisheries officials, along with a prospect that it may be further extended until the end of January 2010.

Unlimited quantity

The head of the Research Division of the Ministry of Fisheries, Poasi Fale Ngaluafe, is very concerned about the future of sea cucumber in Tonga's territorial waters.

"The last couple of months has been very disheartening for us because the survey that we conducted to determine the amount of the resources and its sustainability in our waters was a waste of time. Now there is no limitation on quotas and everyone is free to do whatever they want to do," said Poasi.

"Time will tell. We will see how this season goes given there are already proposals to extend the season to January 2010.

Repeating mistake

"This is the very industry that we banned and closed for the past 11 years because of the over-fishing of sea cucumber to the point of near depletion. The ban was lifted last year and allowed the harvesting of a limited quantity over a limited period of six months from April 1 to September 30. Now, we are repeating what we did a decade ago," said Poasi.

He said that in addition to the initial 17 licenses that were granted in June, more than 10 new licenses had been issued to new operators since the harvesting season was extended from the end of September to the end of November.

Poasi said the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Prince Tu'ipelehake approved the proposal from applicants to extend the season from September to October.

Spearheaded campaign

Strong campaigning for the extension of the harvesting period for sea cucumber and for the issuing of new licenses was spearheaded in the Tongan parliament by the now Chairman of the Whole House Committee, Noble Lasike, and the new Minister of Revenue, Sione Teisina Fuko and the new Minister of Justice, Samiu Vaipulu.

In May this year, Fisheries issued a quota of 200 tonnes for dried processed beche-de-mers for exportation for the initial 17 licensed operators. There were operators in Tongatapu, Vava'u, Ha'apai, Niua and Minerva Reef.

The four operators granted licenses in Tongatapu were issued a quota of 25 tonnes each, but the quantity was varied for the operators from the outer islands.