Chinese demand for sea cucumber has been steadily increasing and Mexico is one of the countries competing to fill the supply gap. Sea cucumber harvesting is banned in some regions, including the Yucatan Penninsula, but is still allowed in others including Sea of Cortez where supply is abundant. Sea cucumbers are popular across China, but can only be produced in the North region and that's leaving the country to look to the export market to fill the supply-demand gap.