How is the marketing distribution system of sea cucumber?

Linear representation of the sea cucumber value chain can be represented as:

Fishermen > Local traders > Processing > Local consumption or Exporter

Sea cucumber production particularly in South-East Asia is for both domestic consumption and the export market. The general product flow for sea cucumber involves fishers, village assemblers and processors, other local traders in the source areas, and exporters generally located in big cities. Fishermen sell the product to the collector or buyer either fresh or dried. Buyers also directly collect dried sea cucumber from fishers who opt to dry the products themselves. In the Philippines, though, village-level assemblers and processors do exist. They either wait at the landing sites to buy fresh sea cucumber or the fishers themselves bring the catch to them. A village assembler carries out the primary processing, and stores the dried product until sufficient volume is accumulated for sale to exporters in the capital city, and other big cities.

Source: 

Market potential and challenges for expanding the production of sea cucumber in South-East Asia