The Mexican government has been urged to step in and protect the chocolate chip sea cucumber from overfishing.
The move comes in the form of a petition by Biologicaldiversity.org after the latest scientific research has shown that the species is facing an alarming decline due to overfishing.
The chocolate chip sea cucumber is being heavily overfished in the warm Atlantic waters, including those around Mexico. It is then dried and exported to Asia, where it is consumed for “health purposes.”
According to the Mexico representative at the Center for Biological Diversity and senior scientist Alejandro Olivera:
“Time is running out for these quirky but important creatures. Mexico urgently needs to crack down on illegal fishing and promote habitat restoration to prevent the total collapse of this sea cucumber population… Protecting chocolate chip sea cucumbers as a threatened species is a crucial step toward ensuring their survival.”
You can find the Spanish language petition here.