Sea cucumber fishing is not a traditional activity; however, a large number of coastal communities have developed a strong dependency on it as an alternative source of income. This paper reviews the worldwide population status, fishery, trade and management of sea cucumbers five regions, covering known sea cucumber fishing grounds: temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere; Latin America and the Caribbean; Africa and the Indian Ocean; Asia; and the Western Central Pacific. Together, the case studies provide a comprehensive and up-to-date evaluation of the global status of sea cucumber, constituting an important information source for researchers, managers, policy-makers and regional/international organizations interested in sea cucumber conservation and exploitation.