Why harvest sea urchins

During one test, the ROV harvested nearly kg of sea urchins in one hour. But before we can draw too many conclusions, the ROV needs to be tested under different conditions. But diving has its limitations.

It is very resource intensive and can be risky. The people and the environment. It is all connected and both vital to the longevity of the industry. Sustainability generally is a characteristic of a process or state that can be maintained at a certain level indefinitely. And this is our goal at Sea Urchin Harvest. Longevity - Sustainability. Sustainability of the industry relies on care and respect for our staff, for our reefs and for our marine life.

Win for Employment. And Win for the consumer. And the consumer WINS, as they can enjoy great tasting sea urchin roe and know that they are helping create jobs and improve the local marine environment.

Sea Urchin Harvest has been recognised for its contribution to the environment by being awarded the Excellence in Environmental Practice at the recent Sydney Fish Market Excellence Awards.

Click here to learn about our award. Menu 0. About Sea Urchin Harvest. The Diver Our Sea Urchin Roe diver, Chris Theodore, has been diving the waters off the South East Coast of Australia ever since he was a young teen and has now been diving commercially for over 25 years. Regarded as one of the best Sea Urchin divers in Australia, Chris's dedication to premium product and freshness, combined with his knowledge of the best spots to dive, set Chris apart from other divers.

Groth odfw. Harvest methods : Sea urchins are harvested by divers, using surface supplied air. Fishery management Resource management for sea urchins focuses on preserving high density areas for spawning in reserve areas, and also allowing them multiple reproductive opportunities before they can be legally harvested. Sea urchin boats in Port Orford, OR. From the s to , the US, particularly Maine, was the largest exporter of green sea urchin.

Overall global supply has decreased over the last twenty years due to storms, decreasing kelp beds, invasive species, and over fishing.

In , global landings totaled , tonnes. In , it decreased to 75, Green sea urchins are harvested from the Atlantic, while red and purple urchins are harvested from the Pacific. These days, domestic supply stays domestic to meet growing demand and ethnic markets.

Domestic supply is also supplemented by imported product, mostly from Chile, during summer months. Sea urchin is usually served raw as sushi, commonly seen in Japanese cuisine, but it has a variety of applications.