Sea cucumber harvesters in North and South America said they anticipate a higher demand than usual for their product as it comes into season this fall.
A historic die-off of sea cucumbers in China, worth over USD 1 billion (EUR 862 million), has already driven up demand for the product in other markets. Japan has already seen its demand increase as Chinese buyers look for new supplies.
That demand may be seen in places like Canada, Geoff Krause, executive director of the Pacific Urchin Harvesters Association – which also harvests sea cucumbers in the Northwest – told SeafoodSoure during Seafood Expo Asia 2018.
“We’re anticipating it,” Krause said.
For now, the demand can’t be felt as the season for harvesting cucumbers doesn’t come until later in the year. “It will probably be towards the end of November before it hits the pipeline,” Krause said.
Addy Velazquez Sosa, of Santa Monica, California, U.S.A.-based Velazquez Seafood, said the demand for the product in Hong Kong and other markets already outstrips the supply in most areas of South America.
“The last two years, the supply goes down, so they go to another part of America, like Nicaragua, Venezuela, Peru, and they find another kind of sea cucumber,” she said. “Hong Kong is buying [sea cucumber] all over the world.”
