Queensland researchers work to rebuild fish farming industry in Papua New Guinea

How does a sea cucumber for dinner tonight sound? While most people may not jump at the thought right now, for Papua New Guinea those echinoderms could be a huge money-maker. Australian researchers have been awarded $1.7million to help develop a mariculture industry in PNG, although it could be years before exports get off the ground. Mariculture is the cultivation of marine species in sea water University of the Sunshine Coast professor of Sustainable Tropical Agriculture, Paul Southgate, will be one of the researchers taking part in the project. He studied the sustainability of fish farming in Papua New Guinea for five years, and this next phase will most likely take another five years. According to Professor Southgate, the major problem with the industry was its sustainability — specifically in terms of overfishing In 2009 the PNG Government introduced a moratorium on the sea cucumber fishing industry, in an attempt to replenish fish stocks. If you actually look at the literature it is probably easier to list what they don't supposedly cure.

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-01/dried-sea-cucumber-to-be-exported-from-papua-new-guinea/7130280