Lok Sabha Question No. 6596 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-06
Subject: Sea Cucumber
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: ASHOK SHANKARRAO CHAVAN, GAJANAN CHANDRAKANT KIRTIKAR, SUDHEER GUPTA, KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH, ANWHAR RAAJHAA, BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO, NARANBHAI KACHHADIA, T. RADHAKRISHNAN, VIJAY KUMAR S.R.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 6596

TO BE ANSWERED ON  06.04.2018

## Sea Cucumber

6596.  SHRI ASHOK SHANKARRAO CHAVAN:

SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH:

SHRI A. ANWHAR RAAJHAA:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

SHRI NARANBHAI KACHHADIYA:

SHRI T. RADHAKRISHNAN:

SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  list  of  endangered  marine  species  under  schedule-1  of  the  Wild  Life Protection Act (WLPA);
- (b) whether the Government has also included sea cucumber in the said list;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  received  requests  from  the  Public  Representatives  that fishermen have been adversely affected due to ban on fishing Sea Cucumber and have demanded lifting the ban; and
- (e) if  so,  the details  thereof and the time by which the Government is likely to lift ban on fishing Sea Cucumber?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a) The  list of  endangered  species  in Indian sea/waters listed in the Schedule-1 of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, is at Annexure .
- (b) and (c) Sea Cucumbers ( All Holothurians) are listed in Part IV C of Schedule-1 of  the  Wild  Life  (Protection)  Act,  1972.  Sea  cucumbers  are  important components of the coral reef ecosystem. They play an important role as deposit  feeders  and  suspension  feeders.  The  population  and  distribution of most economically important species of  Sea Cucumbers were found to be drastically reduced and therefore, the Ministry of Environment, Forest

and  Climate  Change  had  vide  Gazette  Notification  dated  11.07.2001 included Sea Cucumbers in Schedule-1 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to accord them the highest degree of protection.

- (d) and (e) The  Ministry  has  received  request  from  people's  representative  for considering  lifting  of  ban  on  Sea  Cucumbers  as  fishermen  of  southern Tamil Nadu were affected due to the ban.

No  specific  time  limit  has been  fixed  for lifting  the  ban  on  Sea Cucumbers

1. Catecean species
2. Dugong ( Dugong dugon )
3. Gangetic dolphin ( Platanista gangetica )
4. Little Indian Porpoise ( Neomeris phocenoides )
5. Clawless Otter ( Aonyx cinerea )
6. Snubfin Dolphin ( Oreaella brevezastris )

## PART II

## AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES

1. Audithia Turtle ( Pelochelys bibroni )
2. Crocodiles (including the Estuarine or salt water crocodile) ( Crocodilus porosus and Crocodilus palustris )
3. Terrapin ( Batagur basika )
4. Eastern Hill Terrapin ( Melanochelys tricarinata )
5. Gharial ( Gavialis gangeticus )
6. Ganges Soft-shelled Turtle ( Trionyx gangeticus )
7. Green Sea Turtle ( Chelonia mydas )
8. Hawksbill Turtle ( Eretmochelys imbricata inlscata )
9. Indian Soft-shelled Turtle ( Lissemys punctata punctata )
10. Kerala Forest Terrapin ( Hoesemys sylratica )
11. Large Bengal Monitor Lizard ( Varanus bengalensis )
12. Leathery Turtle ( Dermochelys coriacea )
13. Logger Head Turtle ( Caretta caretta )
14. Olive Back Logger Head Turtle ( Lepidochelys olivacea )
15. Peacock-marked Soft-shelled Turtle ( Trionyx hurum )
16. Sail terrapin ( Kachuga kachuga )
17. Spotted black Terrapin ( Geoclemys hamiltoni )

## ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)    OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO  6596    REGARDING  'SEA  CUCUMBER'  BY  SHRI ASHOK SHANKARRAO CHAVAN, SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR,  SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA,  KUNWAR  HARIBANSH  SINGH,  SHRI  A.  ANWHAR  RAAJHAA,  SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO, SHRI NARANBHAI KACHHADIYA, SHRI T. RADHAKRISHNAN, SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR DUE FOR REPLY ON 06.04.2018.

## Names of  endangered species in Indian sea/waters listed in the Schedule-1 of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972

## PART I

## MAMMALS

1.    Whale Shark ( Rhincodon typus )
2.   Shark and Ray
3. Sea Horse ( All Sygnathidians)
4. Giant Grouper ( Ephinephelus lanceolatus )

(i) Anoxypristis cuspidata            (ii) Carcharhinus hemiodon

(iii) Glyphis gangeticus              (iv) Glyphis glyphis

- (v) Himantura fluviatilis            (vi) Pristis microdon

(vii) Pristis zijsron                    (viii) Rhynchobatus djiddensis

(ix) Urogymus asperrimus .

## PART IV

## CRUSTACEA AND INSECTS

1. Coconut or Robber Crab ( Bigrus latro )

## PART IVA

## COELENTERATES

- 1     Reef Building Coral (All Scleractinians )
2. Black Coral (All Antipatharians )
3. Organ Pipe Coral ( Tubipora musica )
4. Fire Coral (All Millipora Species)
5. Sea Fan (All Gorgonians )
1. Cassis cornuta
2. Charonia tritonis
3. Conus milneedwardsi
4. Cypraecassis rufa
5. Hippopus hippopus
6. Nautilus pompilius
7. Tridacna maxima
8. Tridacna squamosa
9. Tudicla spirallus .

## PART IIA

## FISHES

## PART IVB

## MOLLUSCA

## PART IV-C

## ECHINODERMATA

1. Sea Cucumber (All Holothurians )

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