MUSCAT: The Wilayat of Mahout is renowned for its abundant marine resources, particularly the sea cucumber (Holothuria scabra).
Sea cucumbers are very much in demand in some countries, particularly in Asia. It is used in Chinese traditional medicine.
According to Dr Issa bin Mohammed al Farsi, Director of the Aquaculture Development Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, this trade began in the last century but flourished in 2005. Locals harvest and collect the sea cucumber, then cook, dry, package, and export it to Hong Kong, Singapore, and China.
Currently, there are no commercial sea cucumber farming projects. However, the ministry has implemented pilot projects.
"These projects are aimed at applying sandy sea cucumber farming techniques, such as hatching and rearing of young; assessing the feasibility of increasing the stock; and determining the breeding season for Omani sandy sea cucumbers and the minimum catch size," pointed out Dr Al Farsi.
A major objective is to encourage and train fishermen to cultivate sea cucumbers in their known habitats within the Sultanate of Oman. Some local companies are studying sea cucumber farming in its natural area but have not yet moved into the commercial sector.
Dr Al Farsi leads national strategies for sustainable and integrated aquaculture expansion. "Sea cucumbers live on the seabed, among coral reefs, and in soft mud and sand, spending most of their time buried beneath it. This unique marine environment off the coast of Mahout is where this particular species of sea cucumber, belonging to the class of marine invertebrates, thrives."
At present, the wild population of sea cucumbers is protected in Oman; the solution is aquaculture.
"Because the sandy sea cucumber is subject to overfishing and illegal harvesting in most of the world's producing countries, it is rapidly being depleted from its natural habitat. This has been confirmed by studies conducted by the ministry," said Dr Al Farsi.
This prompted the ministry to issue a ban on the harvesting, trade, and export of sea cucumbers in 2025 for the next five years.
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