RECIPE
Sea urchins are considered a pest, wiping out the seaweed habitat and leaving a barren white rock ‘moonscape’ in their wake, and with their numbers so high they are causing an imbalance in the biodiversity. Rachel Theodore, who runs Sea Urchin Harvest in Tomakin on the south coast, says, “When urchin population numbers get out of control, the results are devastating for the reefs and marine life.” Sea Urchin Harvest’s goal is to restore the local kelp forest and fish habitat (which has been lost to Centrostephanus rodgetsii urchin along the east coast of Australia) via a commercially viable and sustainable sea urchin fishery. When the sea urchins are removed from the barrens, by hand, seaweeds rapidly colonise. In areas that have been commercially harvested for urchin, the kelp forest regenerates in a matter of a year or two. For more, see seaurchinharvest.com.au
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