A town officer in Vava’u is investigating after discovering a cooler and a pile of rotten sea cucumbers.
Holeva Town Officer Uele Moala said he would file a complaint with the Police.
He cautioned the suspect about their interactions with the police.
He took photos of the stuff and shared them on Facebook.
The discovery follows reports last week that Tonga might extend its ban on sea cucumbers to give them more time to restock.
The ban has existed since the 2010s, with the latest being 2022.
Local media have reported Fisheries Ministry CEO Dr Sione Matoto as saying the expected lift in the ban was uncertain, citing a recent survey.
Matoto reportedly confirmed that the ban on harvesting currently remains in place.
The government’s decision to continue suspending the harvesting of this resource, which is considered a delicacy in parts of Asia, will allow stocks to recover following overfishing.
Concerns about this highly priced species have arisen since the beginning of their fishing practices in the 1980s, particularly after several fishers died while using scuba hookah diving equipment.
The government later announced that sea cucumbers must only be collected by wading and free diving.
It also banned using artificial breathing apparatus, including SCUBA and hookah, to harvest sea cucumbers.
The law states that anyone possessing sea cucumbers in a boat carrying artificial breathing apparatus is committing an offence.
