Group Coordinator and Bulletin Editor
Chantal Conand, Université de La Réunion, Laboratoire de biologie marine, 97715 Saint-Denis Cedex, La Réunion, France. Fax: +262 938166
Production
Pacific Community, Fisheries Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems Division, Information Section, SPC, BP D5, 98848 Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia.
Produced with financial assistance from the Australian Government, the European Union, France and the New Zealand Aid Programme.
Note from the editor
Since the last issue, new members have joined our Special Interest Group. They are welcome and invited to send comments, information and articles to the next bulletins which will be published now, we hope, twice a year. Thanks to those who have contributed to this issue.
The first section of this issue contains useful information on our main areas of interest, i.e. markets and fisheries, the biology and ecology of sea-cucumbers, and management. Several articles present recent data on world markets, marketing and local fisheries in the tropical Pacific and the Indian Ocean. According to world market statistics, beche-de-mer imports have peaked in 1988, but recent figures are needed to interpret the 1989 decline.
Within the Pacific region, fishery statistics present contrasting trends. In Papua New Guinea, production appears stable. In Solomon Islands, production first increased in 1986 when it passed 100 t; in 1991 it peaked at 662 t. The mean value per kg has not changed much since 1988. In Fiji, production has declined since 1989, but the mean value per kg for exported products has doubled since that time. The decline is probably related to the population decline described by Tim Adams in his article.
Most of the recent progress made on the biology and ecology of holothurians is presented in the section on publications. The reply by Lyle Vail to the request for information on spawning provides some interesting data. If you have made similar observations, please provide them, and we will publish them in the next issue.
Chantal Conand