The Ministry of Fisheries does not have the legal authority to regulate the price of beche-de-mer, says Fisheries Minister Alitia Bainivalu.
Responding to questions about how much fishermen are being paid for sea cucumbers, Ms Bainivalu said price control was not provided for under the Fisheries Act.
“With regards to the prices, the ministry has no power to regulate the price because it is not in the provisions of the Fisheries Act,” she said.
However, she said measures were in place to ensure transparency in the buying process.
Companies approved to buy, process and export beche-de-mer are required to submit their proposed buying prices to the ministry as part of their approval process.
“They have submitted to us a list of prices that they would buy from the fishermen.
“We are hoping that these companies are buying at that price from the fishermen.”
To strengthen monitoring, approved buyers must operate from designated fisheries stations where ministry officers are present to check licences, verify species landed and monitor compliance with submitted prices.
When asked about specific prices, Ms Bainivalu said the details were handled by the committee overseeing sea cucumber operations.
