- Tahiti Marine claims a world-first in breeding two endangered sea cucumber species in captivity.
- Its model combines aquaculture, conservation and community livelihoods.
- The company is exploring Singapore as an R&D hub for marine bioactives.
Sea cucumbers are a culinary delicacy in many Asian cultures. Served during festive occasions, the marine invertebrate is prized for its unique gelatinous texture, as well as its medicinal and healing properties.
Long regarded as a symbol of wealth and luxury, sea cucumbers are in high demand and increasingly threatened by overharvesting.
As sea cucumbers reproduce by external fertilisation, population declines have made it increasingly difficult for them to reproduce in the wild, where fertilisation success depends on high population densities.
To overcome this challenge, Tahiti Marine has developed a synthetic breeding environment using large basins that allow spawning to occur under controlled conditions.
The company breeds two species of sea cucumbers, Holothuria fuscogilva and Holothuria whitmaei. Both are highly prized luxury seafood species and are protected under CITES due to concerns over overexploitation.
“We believe we’re the only ones in the world who can reproduce Holothuria fuscogilva and Holothuria whitmaei," said Fabrice Ancey, founder and CEO of Tahiti Marine.
Low-impact aquaculture
Speaking to AgNavigator, Ancey detailed the production process, which relies on a combination of hatcheries, nurseries and special sites across islands in French Polynesia.
First, a typical spawning event produces between 600,000 and 800,000 larvae, though roughly 20% do not survive.
As the larvae mature, they are transferred from the hatchery into nursery systems, which consist of artificial lagoon-like environments.
Seawater is pumped directly into nursery systems, while groupers are used to control jellyfish that may enter incoming water.
“The only thing we’re using is a pump to move water from the sea into the lake, and that can run on solar panels. We effectively reduced the need for electricity, which brings down costs quite a bit,” said Ancey.
While feed is usually the biggest cost for aquaculture producers, the company utilises algae that it produces along with its sea cucumbers.
“We feed them a specific type of algae, which we found is what they eat when they’re babies. We generate this as well in parallel through our farm, and we have a formulation that enables their growth,” said Ancey.
Solving a conservation challenge
After approximately 18 to 24 months, the young sea cucumbers are sold at a low cost to people in local island communities, who protect the vulnerable creatures until they are large enough to be harvested.
Tahiti Marine then buys them back by weight, not only creating a new income stream for islanders but also incentivising them to protect the vulnerable species and their growing environment.
“The idea is to help communities increase their yearly revenues. It’s a complete circular economy because we’re helping society. We’re helping people earn more money while also protecting these animals. They can help improve the environment and the marine ecosystem, while at the same time creating solutions that are beneficial for humans. That’s really where the project comes from and what it stems from,” said Ancey.
He emphasised that restoring depleted sea cucumber populations could contribute to healthier marine environments, as they consume organic waste and recycle nutrients that support coral reefs and other marine life.
“If these animals are no longer there, this process is completely gone. These animals are extremely important,” he said.
Singapore as a potential R&D hub
The company sees huge opportunities for sea cucumbers in the booming health and longevity sector.
Ancey recounted reports of injured sea cucumbers recovering from substantial physical damage, prompting further investigation into the compounds present within the animals.
It is exploring opportunities in health supplements, cosmetics and wellness products derived from marine bioactives extracted from farmed sea cucumbers.
It current has products in the market under the brand ATEA.
“We’re finding new stuff every day, which is really incredible,” said Ancey.
While the company believes strongly in the beneficial properties of sea cucumbers, Ancey acknowledged that significant scientific research and validation remain necessary.
The venture is now exploring plans to establish a pilot operation in Singapore, focusing on hatchery development, nursery production and scientific research.
Ancey said Singapore’s research infrastructure makes it an attractive location for the next stage of development.
“Singapore has high-development human capital. We have all the laboratories; we have all the high-quality engagements that can help us do more research more quickly.”
He also cited security concerns associated with operating in remote locations, where high-value aquaculture products often face risks from piracy.
“Pirates are a real problem. Especially in a very remote island, you can easily get attacked and you can have thousands of dollars’ worth of goods stolen.”
