While the sea slug is not a staple of the Australian diet, it is a premium and popular product in China, and stocks are depleted.

Professor Paul Southgate from the University of the Sunshine Coast has committed $2.7 million to run a five-year project that focuses on aquaculture and processing a sea cucumber called sandfish.

“The sandfish is considered a delicacy in south-east Asia that can command up to $400 a kilogram when dried and, because of this, stocks have been greatly depleted in the Indian and Pacific oceans,” Professor Southgate said.

“We will use parent stock from the wild, induce them to spawn, culture the larvae and develop the technology to grow the juveniles from five millimetres long up to market size when they are about two years old.”

While the project is aimed to help develop the industry in the Philippines and Vietnam, it could reap benefits in northern Australia where a commercial operation already exists.

Professor Southgate's study will be used to help build industry for communities in south-east Asia, particularly women’s groups and smaller fishing households that could become involved in sea cucumber culture and processing.

“This project will further develop methods to cultivate sea cucumbers with a view to improving survival and establishing methods that are appropriate for rural coastal communities in partner countries,” he said.

Professor Southgate currently leads a similar project in Papua New Guinea and is developing a similar project in Mauritius.