On Tuesday, the Indian Coast Guard captured around 71 kg of prohibited sea cucumbers valued Rs 31.84 lakhs along the Uchipuli seashore in Mandapam.
“In a swift anti-poaching operation, the Indian Coast Guard confiscated approximately 71 kg sea cucumbers near Uchipuli sea shore and handed over the seized contraband to the forest department for legal formalities,” officials of the Indian Coast Guard said.
According to officials, Rameshwaram Coastal Security Group police recovered 550 kg of prohibited sea cucumbers from a residence in Serangottai hamlet on the Rameswaram-Dhanushkodi route in May of this year.
Police Inspector Kanagaraj of the Rameshwar Coastal Security Group received information that government-banned sea cucumbers were being boiled in a residence in Serangottai hamlet on the Rameswaram-Dhanushkodi road.
“During a thorough search in the area, it was revealed that there were about 550 kg of government-banned sea cucumbers lying in the oven inside the house of S Lingam. The sea cucumbers were seized,” the official said.
Sea cucumbers play an important role in the marine ecology because they absorb decomposing organic materials and transform it into recyclable nutrients for other marine species.