SURVIVABILITY OF SEA CUCUMBERS Parastichopus regalis AND Parastichopus tremulus (Holothuroidea) IN THE TRAWL FISHERIES AT GALICIAN WATERS

Scientific fishing survey DESCARSEL0917 took place on board the research vessel "Miguel Oliver" in the NW Cantabrian national fishing ground (ICES areas 8c and 9a), during September 2017, under similar conditions to those of the commercial fleet. Survival experiments were carried out during the DESCARSEL0917 along the continental shelf and upper slope of Galicia. The objective was to determine survival rates of sea cucumbers Parastichopus tremulus and P. regalis to the processes of discarding and handling in trawl fishing. Both species are by caught by the Spanish otter bottom trawl fleet at the area. Most of the catches are discarded although in recent years there has been an increase in the number of landings due to the economic value of the species, which are exported to Asian markets