Sea cucumbers

Directed to the Animals Committee

12.60

The Animals Committee shall: a) review, with the assistance of experts as may be needed, the outcomes of the technical workshop convened by the Secretariat and other available information concerning the biology, catch and bycatch of and trade in sea cucumbers in the families Holothuridae and Stichopodidae and develop appropriate recommendations; and b) prepare, for consideration at the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties, a discussion paper on the biological and trade status of sea cucumbers in the above families to provide scientific guidance on the actions needed to secure their conservation status.

Directed to the Secretariat

12.61

The Secretariat shall: a) assist in obtaining funds from interested Parties, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, exporters, importers and other stakeholders, to support a technical workshop of relevant experts on the conservation of sea cucumbers in the families Holothuridae and Stichopodidae; b) contingent on the availability of external funding, cooperate with other relevant bodies, including the fisheries sector, to convene a technical workshop to consider and review biological and trade information that would assist in establishing conservation priorities and actions to secure the conservation status of sea cucumbers in these families; and c) contract the preparation of a document for discussion at the technical workshop. This document should contain all relevant available information concerning the status, catches and bycatches of, and trade in specimens of species in the families Holothuridae and Stichopodidae and on any domestic measures for their conservation and protection, and a review of the adequacy of such measures.