Overview:
Ngaraard’s sea cucumber population is showing signs of recovery following two years of aquaculture support from Taiwan and Palau’s Bureau of Fisheries. On Oct. 15, officials and local students released 570 mature sea cucumbers and placed 1,000 juveniles in net cages to support sustainable marine resources and food security.
The Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM), the Bureau of Fisheries (BOF, under the MAFE) and the Ngaraard State Government collaborated in 2024 to promote sea cucumber cage aquaculture and regeneration. Following the release of the first batch of 400 fattened sea cucumbers last year (2025), a second batch of 570 fattened sea cucumbers was released today (October 15th), along with a new batch of 1,000 juvenile sea cucumbers for fattening and aquaculture.
Participants in this release included Taiwan Ambassador Andy Kang-I Chen and his staff, Ngaraard Governor Sharp Sakuma and state government officials, BOF Director Persis Omelau, Taiwan Technical Mission Leader Benjamin Tsai and his team, and primary school students from Ngaraard State, total 25 participants. Over the past two years, the TTM aquaculture project (Second Phase) has continuously supported and assisted Ngaraard State. The number of sea cucumber cages has increased from 2 to 4, the number of juvenile sea cucumbers stocked has increased from 1,000 to 2,000, the density of wild sea cucumbers per 140 square meters of coastline has increased from 21 to 26, and the average weight of sea cucumbers has increased from 96 grams to 117 grams, demonstrating a significant improvement in both the coastal sea cucumber population and the number of mature individuals.
During the event, Taiwan Ambassador Andy Kang-I Chen emphasized the importance of the sustainable use of natural resources. BOF Director Persis Omelau stated that the event promoted food security and ecological conservation, and was highly educational for the participating students. The Governor Sharp Sakuma thanked the Taiwan Embassy and the BOF for their long-term assistance in local marine resource conservation. Enrique Hsieh, the project manager of the TTM, introduced sea cucumber habits and aquaculture care techniques to the participants. At the end of the event, primary school students released fattened sea cucumbers into a suitable rocky area for sea cucumber growth and placed a new batch of juvenile sea cucumbers into net cages, symbolizing the continuous and sustainable development of local sea cucumber resources. The event concluded successfully.