Around the world, some 70 species of holothuroids (commonly called sea cucumbers) are exploited for commercial purposes, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. Sea cucumbers are mainly exported to China where they are used as foods of choice or are included in the Chinese pharmacopoeia. Sea cucumber fisheries are active (or have been) in at least 70 coastal countries of the world's oceans. Around 2 million fishers were estimated to be engaged in collecting sea cucumbers in 39 collecting countries surveyed. Most tropical species are easily collected on foot or by snorkeling in shallow areas. A recent analysis revealed an extremely alarming level of global overexploitation and depletion of natural stocks of sea cucumbers. Overall, 20% of fisheries are depleted and 38% overexploited. Sea cucumber aquaculture began in the 1970s on the temperate Asian species Apostichopus japonicus. In the 1990s, studies were carried out on the tropical Indo-Pacific species Holothuria scabra. Currently, these are the only two species whose complete cycle has been mastered. In the 2000s, some 20,000 t/year of sea cucumbers (dry weight) were fished for around 2,000 t/year produced in aquaculture. The aquaculture of H. scabra in Madagascar began in 1998 with the intervention of our team. It is also with this mariculture that we have developed village farming involving coastal villagers in production.