Scott Ling: Revolutionising Strategies to Combat Sea Urchins on Australia's

[@jamesalanstephensmith7930]

Great work

[@lansvale28]

I just watched a PBS story on youtube that followed a company that takes collects these sea urchins, then fattens them up in a farm by feeding them kelp, and then sells them. Sounds like a sustainable model.

[@AGL888]

Thanks for educating us, I’ve been diving in Ulladulla south coast nsw and a lot of time on the gbr. I had no idea urchins were causing so much havoc, way worse than COTS. The other comment was right, most bays here on the south coast are covered with urchins. Occasional wrasse, red morwong, undersize kings and salmon. The fishing industry here is now getting better money for slimies or yakkas which used to be canned for pet food or used as bait for tuna. Bugger all fish left for the recreational angler now they are taking the feed for the rest. We will be left with ALOt of urchins and not much else.

[@dillberry99]

mollymook, flat rock is a perfect example, hundreds of meters of urchins per square foot

[@AGL888]

@@dillberry99 you really did move to FNQ? Lots of urchins per sphere nautical mile by the inch. Onya dingberry

[@dillberry99]

@@AGL888 im sorry what, flatrock is in ulladulla bud, you might have a gas leak, check those pipes.

[@AGL888]

@@dillberry99 I’m with ya. Have a good day mate

[@GreatSouthernReef]

Thanks for sharing and engaging in the discussion! Always interesting to know what's happening in various places around the Great Southern Reef.

[@MrColinManning]

We had a similar problem with urchins decimating the kelp forrests off Palos Verdes, California.

[@GreatSouthernReef]

Thanks for watching and commenting. Yes indeed the kelp forests globally are suffering.

[@californiabightco]

I am a California commercial Sea Urchin diver. Would love to come help and dive in Tasmania. Currently harvesting reds in California and purples like some of you have seen us on the PBS series "Fed by Blue"

[@GreatSouthernReef]

Thanks for commenting. We have urchin divers in Aus., the issue is the processing at the moment. The catch of one diver in 3h (filling a boat) will take 15 people about 8h to process!

[@brianhood9779]

The Hauraki Gulf in NZ is littered with kinna barrons . Once crayfish have been overfished, kinna or urchins and eat the kelp. The taste of kinna changes to horrible and no longer nice to eat.

[@javiermerrill7194]

How about eating the sea urchin roe? There is a whole industry in many nations (Japan, Chile, etc.) that thrives on this product. The article seems rather incomplete without further analysis of the options available.

[@GreatSouthernReef]

Hi thanks for your comment. We are currently working on a documentary about the urchin situation in Australia (stay tuned!). Indeed the roe is a delicacy sought after by many cultures. Australia has a fledgling urchin industry that needs further development and investment. Harvesting and processing is expensive and time consuming. Also, the urchins that come from barrens often have poor roe quality, another challenge. Furthermore many of the urchins are in remote and deep reefs. There are viable solutions and plans to implement, but the situation requires federal funding and investment.

[@BBQAndButter]

It's too bad they can't import some sea otters. They'd take care of all those urchins.

[@GreatSouthernReef]

Sea Otters aren't native to Aus

[@billc6762]

Sea Urchins can go for $500 a pound.

[@jgestiot]

Create a sea urchin industry and make money while solving the problem.

[@dillberry99]

NSW South coast is 1000 times worse then tassy, there is not one single kelp forest from sydney to eden, when there was once a huge area that was covered by weed lines. we have NOTHING, completely barren. atleast tassy can maintain there areas that have forests. come up north before you cry me a river

[@BushKayakersCampingAustralia]

wherever its a problem its a problem . its not a competition its about ecological compaction . sorry to hear the nsw south coast is suffering too that fkn sux