Towards optimal handling and processing of sea cucumber in eastern Canada Reference Number: For NSERC office use only NSERC PIN: 145624 Date Approved by RGO: 2017/03/22 16:31 NSERC PIN Validated:

在加拿大大西洋地区，海参是一个新兴但不断发展的产业，尚未充分发挥其潜力。世界上其他地方的大多数海参都是手工捕捞、手工加工并运往高档海鲜市场，而加拿大大西洋地区的海参（Cucumaria frondosa）采用拖网捕捞、机械加工的方式，通常收益较低至中等。此外，目前还没有标准来处理、运输和保存原材料，以获得标准化的商业产品。Quin SeaFisheries是一家位于纽芬兰和拉布拉多的著名海鲜加工商，通过利用Mercier实验室在海参生物学和保护方面的专业知识，寻求优化其海参分支。拟议项目的目标是：(1)解决昆海渔业目前在标准化进入加工链的海参方面遇到的挑战；(2)试验各种可能增强最终产品或保证未来研发的处理技术。长期目标是开发保存和处理海参的最佳技术，以增加商业最终产品的价值及其在市场上的竞争力，并最终实现相关回报的最大化。该项目还将构成制定一系列海参开发最佳做法的第一阶段，这些做法应使所有加拿大利益攸关方受益，并有助于以可持续的方式发展这一有前途的行业。

Sea cucumber is an emerging but growing industry in Atlantic Canada that has yet to reach its full potential.Unlike most sea cucumbers exploited elsewhere in the world, which are hand-caught, manually processed anddestined to luxury seafood markets, sea cucumbers in Atlantic Canada (Cucumaria frondosa) are trawled,mechanically processed and typically generate low to moderate returns. Moreover, no standards exist at presentfor handling, transporting and holding the raw material to obtain standardized commercial products. Quin SeaFisheries is a prominent seafood processor based in Newfoundland & Labrador that seeks to optimize its seacucumber branch by drawing on the expertise of the Mercier Lab in the biology and conservation of seacucumbers. The objectives of the proposed project are to (1) address the challenges currently experienced byQuin Sea Fisheries in standardizing the aspect of sea cucumbers that enter the processing chain; and (2)experiment with various handling techniques that might enhance the end products or warrant future R&D. Thelong-term aim is to develop optimal techniques for holding and handling sea cucumbers to increase the value ofthe commercial end-products and their competitiveness on the markets, and ultimately maximize the associatedreturns. This project will also constitute the first phase in developing a series of best practices for sea cucumberexploitation that should benefit all Canadian stakeholders involved and help grow this promising industry in asustainable way.