The farming of the exotic sea urchin

By Roberto Garcia

I WAS introduced to the fascinating world of coral reef, seagrass beds, and mangrove forests during a summer class in Bolinao where never-been-seen animals and plants overwhelmed me. I remember the sea urchin, a slow moving animal encased in a round shell surrounded with spines, grazing in the intertidal reef in great numbers.

That was then. Now, the overharvesting of this resource almost decimated its fragile population.

The sea urchin (Tripneustes gratilla), locally known as kuden-kuden in Bolinao and maritangtang in other parts of the Ilocos region, is an important fishery resource valued for its gonad or eggs and thus commands a big demand and high market price. This resulted in the unrelenting collection and depletion of the wild stocks in the country for several years.

Fortunately, the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute, based in Bolinao, resolved the issue by the breeding and culturing the species, paving the way for the re-stocking of the wild population and at the same time providing livelihood for coastal communities.

The farming of sea urchin was widely promoted in the Ilocos Region by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and was highly successful, particularly in La Union. The young animals were collected in the wild and placed in cages located in protected shore waters with high salinity. They are fed with the brown algae Sargassum, which is abundant in the area, until they reach seven centimeters in diameter during which they are harvested. They are sold fresh or in processed form in the local market, restaurants, or to exporters. Considered as a delicacy among locals and an exotic food in Japan and Taiwan, the gonad of the sea urchin commands a very good price. Also, some enterprising locals utilize the empty shells for making decorative souvenir items.

The beneficial impact of the successful culture of sea urchin in the country can be deemed in the generation of livelihood in coastal communities, but more significantly in the re-population of the decreasing wild stocks.

Let’s bring back the glory days of the amazing marine world!

Back to Homepage

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments