2.5 tonne of sea cucumbers seized in Tamil Nadu; two arrested

RAMANATHAPURAM: In a combined operation, forest department personnel attached to Mandapam range in Tamil Nadu and the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) have seized 2.5 tonne of sea cucumbers. Two men were arrested for hunting the species that is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Mandapam forest range officer G Venkatesh said they were engaged in a joined patrolling off the Mandapam coast on Tuesday when they noticed an unregistered fishing boat. The boat was intercepted off the Thonithurai coast.
Forest and coast guard personnel found sea cucumbers in 100 cement bags. There were 25 kg of sea cucumbers in each bag. All sea cucumbers were dead.
The duo on the boat have been identified as Mohammed Ansar, 19, and Prabhakaran, 42, both from Vedalai coastal village.
Inquiries revealed that the duo had hunted the species in the deep sea and were heading to the shore when they were caught. The accused were booked under sections 9, 39, 50 and 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and remanded in judicial custody. Their boat and the sea cucumber were seized.
Processed (dry) sea cucumbers are worth several thousand rupees per kilogram in the international market. It is primarily smuggled from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka in fishing vessels from Ramanathapuram and Tuticorin districts.