Application of benthic imaging to improve production capacity in the Nova Scotian Sea Cucumber Fishery

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Recent growth in the Atlantic Canadian sea cucumber fishery has made it the fourth largest producer of wild-caught sea cucumbers in the world. One of the largest producers in the Canadian fishery is Ocean Pride Fisheries, a Nova Scotian company with exclusive rights to commercially harvest sea cucumbers in several large areas off of Nova Scotia. The company has developed international markets for dried sea cucumber and employs 90 people in Wedgeport, Nova Scotia. Population dynamics of sea cucumber are poorly understood and the limited information available to Ocean Pride Fisheries is not ideal for defining a sustainable harvest strategy. Sea cucumbers are benthic echinoderms with a global history of over exploitation due to slow population growth, dense, predictable aggregations, and high value. To properly manage their sea cucumber resource, Ocean Pride Fisheries needs more information than is currently available. In this study, researchers at Acadia University, in collaboration with researchers at University of Massachusetts School of Marine Sciences and Technology (SMAST) and Ocean Pride Fisheries will use a proven drop camera survey method to produce absolute abundance estimates for sea cucumber off Nova Scotia. The Coastal Ecology lab has student resources, and expertise in the areas of animal movement, distribution, and fisheries independent measures of abundance. Collaboration between the Coastal Ecology Lab at Acadia University, SMAST and the industrial partner will enhance the company's opportunity to innovate and perform surveys at a commercially relevant scale. Failure to address knowledge gaps in sea cucumber ecology will make it difficult for Ocean Pride Fisheries to sustainably harvest sea cucumbers for their international markets. This project will involve significant interaction with the stakeholder and technical team to ensure that results are relevant and can be rapidly integrated into harvest strategies.