Context

A new analysis by the Wildlife Conservation Society-India (WCS-India) has shown that Sea cucumbers were the most frequently trafficked marine species in India between 2015 and 2021.

About

6 What are Sea Cucumbers?

• Sea cucumbers are an important constituent of the marine ecosystem as they play an important role in maintaining the health of the ecosystem.
• In India, sea cucumber is treated as an endangered species listed under schedule 1 of Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.

Smuggling

• It is consumed as food and used in medicine.
• Illegal harvesting and overexploitation of these animals leads to poorer sediment health, reduces nutrient recycling and impacts biodiversity.  

Significance of the species

• Enhancing life:By excreting inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus, they enhance the productivity of benthic animals - those living on the ocean floor.   
• Preserving corals:One of the by-products of the sea cucumber's digestion of sand is calcium carbonate, a key component of coral reef, thus, sea cucumbers play a vital role in their preservation.  
• Cleaning: They maintain the transparency of seawater by eating sewage. Feeding and excretion by them also increases alkalinity, which counteracts ocean acidification.