Vanuatu's Department of Fisheries has given permission for the commercial harvesting of sea cucumber in the islands affected by Cyclone Pam.
The director of the department Kalo Pakoa says they have granted 12 licences for sea cucumber processing.
Mr Pakoa says a ban on harvesting beche de mer, first imposed in 2008, had been extended for another five years in 2013.
But he says the need for income in the affected islands convinced the Department to allow harvesting until the start of December, after which the ban will be re-imposed.
Mr Pakoa says only a maximum of 21 tonnes of the sea food can be processed.
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