The sea cucumber, an essential ingredient in fine Chinese cuisine, has in recent years increased many fold in Japan, to the extent that they are now referred to as 'black diamonds.' Also, in the Galapagos Islands, disputes have repeatedly arisen between fishermen who want to continue their harvesting of sea cucumber and the government, which is anxious that stocks could become exhausted. As a subject taken up for discussion at meetings for the CITES (Convention of International Trades in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), there is a need for a global strategy to manage sea cucumber resources.

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