Price Down as Sea Cucumber Harvest Continues

Jay Barrett/KMXT
Sea cucumber fishermen are plying Kodiak Island waters these days. The season had its fourth fishing period open Monday in four of the six local districts. The season opened by regulation on October 1st.
Fish and Game in Kodiak reports 24 divers on seven boats are participating this season.
The guideline harvest level, or GHL, is 140,000 pounds this year. The poundage is determined by eviscerated weight at the dock.
The price for sea cucumbers this year at the Kodiak docks is $3.50 per pound, which is down $2 from last year. A crackdown by Chinese President Xi Jinping on extravagant spending by government officials has reportedly put a damper on high-end sea cucumber sales in that country. Sea Cucumbers can cost as much as $150 apiece at Beijing’s tonier restaurants.
The Kodiak District’s fourth red cucumber fishing period opened Monday morning, and will close at noon Tuesday in the Southeast Kodiak section, and at 11:59 p.m. tonight in the Northeast, Southwest and Mainland sections. The Kodiak Eastside and the Kodiak Westside sections have been closed for the remainder of the season.