Commercial fishing for beche-de-mer, or sea cucumbers has been carried out in Australian waters since the early 1800's. Species of commercial interest have included: the sandfish, black teatfish, prickly redfish and the lollyfish. Of these, the sandfish is the most common commercial species and is found on inner reef flats, and in bays and estuaries along the coastline. They are bottom dwellers that feed on sediment while moving slowly across the seabed and they often spend part of the day buried in the silty sand. Harvesting is carried out by collecting the animals from shallow water at low tide or by diving in deeper water providing visibility is good.

Traditionally, fishermen have harvested sea cucumbers for processing into dried product. This product is then exported to Asian countries for consumption. Recently, research has focused on developing value-added products from sea cucumbers. One such product is konowata. This is a traditional Japanese product that results from fermenting the intestinal tract of beche-de-mer. It is highly prized by the Japanese who pay up to A$100 for a 60 gram bottle of the best quality product.

Approval to collect beche de mer from Moreton Bay for the purposes of the research project was obtained from the Queensland Fisheries Management Authority (QFMA). The Centre's team conducted trials that evaluated and optimised the handling of live animals, the holding of animals (purging), evisceration to obtain the raw material, the handling of the intestines and the salting/fermentation process. The study also included evaluation of microbial, chemical and sensory characteristics of raw material and finished product. A comparison of experimental konowata with current imported product was also undertaken and market feedback obtained from Japanese buyers and specialists in konowata.

A video and manual were produced to demonstrate the main principles of collection and processing.