This led to arrests Japan poaching huge numbers of sea cucumbers or sea cucumbers.

Five men were arrested for stealing more than 600 kg of echinoderms off Fukuoka, southeast Japan, in what Japanese media called one of the biggest holothurian robberies ever.

These sea creatures, although somewhat unsightly in appearance, demanded snack, but also very expensive as it can also be sold as $3,000 per kilo – that is why he became the target of the criminal organizations of the country.

They are easy prey because they are easy to catch and are in great demand in China and Hong Kong, earning them the nickname “black diamonds”.

In 2018, Japan tightened laws on poaching and illegal trade in sea cucumbers, which take their name from their tubular bodies that resemble the sea cucumber of the same name. imprisonment for more than three years or a fine of 30 million yen; (about $180,000).

However, even the fishermen, and even more so the yakuza gangs, who, in the midst of state repression of their activities, are looking for alternative sources of income, do not seem to have stopped even the harsh punishments.

According to the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper, 624 kilograms of albacore were caught in January in a sea zone where the local cooperative has fishing rights. It is estimated that this cost the local fishermen about 1.8 million yen.

The halibut catch, however, has been steadily declining from 10,300 tons in 2006 to 6,100 tons in 2020, a decline that the line ministry attributes to uncontrolled yakuza fishing.

The export of illegally caught sea cucumbers is considered as lucrative as the more traditional yakuza drug trade.

Source: Guardian