areas of the Northern Hemisphere; Latin America and the Caribbean; Africa and Indian Ocean; Asia; and Western Central Pacific. In each region a case study of a "hotspot" country or fishery was conducted to highlight critical problems and opportunities for the sustainable management of sea cucumber fisheries. The hotspots are Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Seychelles, Galapagos Islands and the fishery for Cucumaria frondosa of Newfoundland in Canada. Across the five regions, the scale of catches and the number of exploited species varies widely, the Asian and Pacific regions being those with the highest catches and species diversity. Most fisheries are multispecific, or have evolved from single-speci Despite the fact that sea cucumber fishing is not a traditional activity, a large number of coastal communities have developed a strong dependency on it as alternative source of income. Reconciling the need for conservation with the socio-economic import The papers also discuss some of the factors behind the unsustainable use of sea cucumbers and the role and potential benefits of alternative management measures, such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora