The Pacific's sea cucumber fishery is losing millions of dollars through corruption and a lack of accountability.
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The Coastal Fisheries Working Group is pressing officials at this week's meeting of the council of the Forum Fisheries Agency to consider the threats to the coastal fishery.
A spokesman Hugh Govan said most of the Pacific is dependent on the coastal fishery, but it's being depleted as a result of poor management.
He said the Group is pleading with the officials to ensure there are strongly transparent and accountable governing approaches taken.
"Because where there is money there is always a risk of a distraction from the common good. And this is particularly noticeable in valuable fisheries such as the sea cucumber one.
"We estimate that the region is losing about half to two thirds of the value that that fishery could make just because, how to put it, through various unaccountable decisions that have been made at the country level."