Some of the Agatti fishers nodded towards the horizon, murmuring, “Look, it’s the koka police gearing up for their sea patrol.” Puzzled, I wondered, what are ‘koka,’ and why were the police looking for them?
Koka, I learnt, are sea cucumbers, a diverse group of invertebrates (creatures without a fully formed backbone) with elongated bodies and leathery skin inhabiting the intertidal and subtidal regions of marine waters worldwide. In the marine systems, they play a key role in recycling nutrients by breaking down organic matter. Most sea cucumbers reproduce sexually, although there are certain species that perform asexual reproduction. Koka are popular for culinary and traditional medicinal purposes in many parts of the world leading to high demand across many countries worldwide and are harvested through small-scale fisheries and aquaculture.
In India, this escalating demand has increased illegal exports in large numbers. To which, India has designated sea cucumbers as a protected species under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 against harvest, trade, or any form of utilization. Sea cucumbers particularly Holothuria fuscogilva and Holothuria nobilis (found in Indian waters) are protected by CITES. Going further, India has also established the Dr. KK Mohammed Koya Sea Cucumber Conservation Reserve in Lakshadweep to protect sea cucumbers.
Scientific name: Holothuria nobilis
Credit: Wimedia Commons
Scientific name: Holothuria fuscogilva
Credit: Frédéric Ducarme for Wikimedia Commons