The Federal Environmental Protection Agency (Profepa) reported the seizure of 2,994 specimens of sea cucumber (Isostichopus fuscus), a species subject to special protection. The shipment was transported illegally by a person who was detained in Baja California.
Joint operation
On July 16, the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena) reported to Profepa a suspicious vehicle on the San Felipe-Ensenada highway. Inspectors from Profepa and personnel from the Ministry of the Navy (Semar) went to the scene. Inside the car they found 39 transparent plastic bags with marine invertebrates.
The person who transported them did not have authorization from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) to prove their legal origin. For this reason, she was detained and placed at the disposal of the Public Ministry of the Federation, attached to the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic (FGR). The vehicle and the specimens were also seized.
Protected species
The sea cucumber is included in NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010 as “Subject to Special Protection” and in Appendix III of CITES. Semarnat points out that these species could be threatened, so their recovery and conservation are a priority. Other examples are the Sonoran green toad and the blue heron.
This invertebrate animal has an elongated body that measures between 2.5 and 180 centimeters long, with a diameter of up to 25 cm. Some specimens reach more than 3 meters. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development warns that fishing is complicated and its market value is very high, which encourages illegal trafficking.




