Development of Sea Urchin Aquaculture in Maine, Phase 1

Loss of sea urchin biomass due to overfishing has led to loss of market share in the lucrative Japanese market. Natural recovery of stocks will not occur without the stock enhancement efforts and/or a complete shutdown of the fishery. A shutdown is not feasible because once the industry infrastructure is gone, it is unlikely to come back. The surviving harvesters, buyers and processors in this fishery are highly motivated to see this lucrative fishery prosper again. Aquaculture efforts are being supported by many of the remaining participants.