by
Rebecca Sherratt, Production editor, International Aquafeed
Sea urchins don’t immediately come to mind, when thinking of the variety of delectable goods we farm from the seas, but they soon might be. A team of three companies, based in Canada and Norway are researching into the perfect feed for sea urchins, to make this spiny echinoderm a popular food source for consumers worldwide.
Sea urchins (Echinoidea) come in 200 different varieties, distinctive by their long spikes completely covering their hard shells, which they use to move about and trap particles of food. They dwell upon the ocean floor and coral reefs worldwide, typically preferring warmer temperatures.
They are omnivorous creatures, but mainly feed upon algae on the rocks, and sometimes treating themselves to decomposing matter such as mussels, decomposing fish, sponges and barnacles (but this is not natural for them). They can live between 15 years to an astonishing 200 and can grow between 3-10cm in size.
Japan are, in fact, one of the only countries which farm and regularly eat sea urchins. Often compared to the taste of scallops, with a smooth and custard-like texture, the Japanese regularly have sea urchin (uni) sushi, and sea urchin roe, which is actually the reproductive organs of the sea urchin. Considered a delicacy, sea urchin roe can retail for over US $450 per kg, served raw as sashimi or often with soy sauce and wasabi. The Mediterranean often eat sea urchin with lemon, whilst in New Zealand ‘kina’ is the name of their raw delicacy of a sea urchin nature.
The companies behind the magic
Canadian company Green Seafoods is working with Memorial University scientists on grow-out trials for sea urchins. However, this isn’t the first time Green Seafoods have tried this. Back in 2000, the company tried similar tests, however, they came across issues when trying to use a feed which increased the roe to a marketable size.
Mark Sheppard, Operations Manager for Green Seafoods, describes the difficulty the company had in using the right kelp-based feed for the sea urchins; “fresh kelp is difficult to gather year-round here and when we fed [sea urchins] any fish for protein, they ended up tasting like what they had just eaten. We couldn’t sell them.” Despite the attempt all those years ago being a failure, Green Seafoods are now determined to try again, with the help of Norway-based Urchinomics.
Read more HERE.
Sea urchins don’t immediately come to mind, when thinking of the variety of delectable goods we farm from the seas, but they soon might be. A team of three companies, based in Canada and Norway are researching into the perfect feed for sea urchins, to make this spiny echinoderm a popular food source for consumers worldwide.
Sea urchins (Echinoidea) come in 200 different varieties, distinctive by their long spikes completely covering their hard shells, which they use to move about and trap particles of food. They dwell upon the ocean floor and coral reefs worldwide, typically preferring warmer temperatures.
They are omnivorous creatures, but mainly feed upon algae on the rocks, and sometimes treating themselves to decomposing matter such as mussels, decomposing fish, sponges and barnacles (but this is not natural for them). They can live between 15 years to an astonishing 200 and can grow between 3-10cm in size.
Japan are, in fact, one of the only countries which farm and regularly eat sea urchins. Often compared to the taste of scallops, with a smooth and custard-like texture, the Japanese regularly have sea urchin (uni) sushi, and sea urchin roe, which is actually the reproductive organs of the sea urchin. Considered a delicacy, sea urchin roe can retail for over US $450 per kg, served raw as sashimi or often with soy sauce and wasabi. The Mediterranean often eat sea urchin with lemon, whilst in New Zealand ‘kina’ is the name of their raw delicacy of a sea urchin nature.
The companies behind the magic
Canadian company Green Seafoods is working with Memorial University scientists on grow-out trials for sea urchins. However, this isn’t the first time Green Seafoods have tried this. Back in 2000, the company tried similar tests, however, they came across issues when trying to use a feed which increased the roe to a marketable size.
Mark Sheppard, Operations Manager for Green Seafoods, describes the difficulty the company had in using the right kelp-based feed for the sea urchins; “fresh kelp is difficult to gather year-round here and when we fed [sea urchins] any fish for protein, they ended up tasting like what they had just eaten. We couldn’t sell them.” Despite the attempt all those years ago being a failure, Green Seafoods are now determined to try again, with the help of Norway-based Urchinomics.
Read more HERE.
The Aquaculturists
This blog is maintained by The Aquaculturists staff and is supported by the
magazine International Aquafeed which is published by Perendale Publishers Ltd
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