• The authorities, which note a "rarefaction" of sea urchins, announce that the opening of the fishing period is postponed by one month in the departments of Var and Alpes-Maritimes.

  • “Professional fishermen have proposed going beyond national regulations by postponing the opening of fishing to December 1.

    It had until then been authorized from November 1, ”specifies the prefecture of Var.

The prefect of the Var recalls that “sea urchin fishing is emblematic of the Mediterranean coasts”.

It may even have become a little too democratized.

The authorities, which note a "rarefaction" of these invertebrates, announced this Friday that the opening of the authorized sampling period is postponed by one month in the department, as well as that of the Alpes-Maritimes.

“Professional fishermen have proposed going beyond national regulations by postponing the opening of fishing to December 1.

Until then, it had been authorized from November 1, ”says the Toulon prefecture.

The Côte Bleue Marine Park, in Bouches-du-Rhone, had already worried about the phenomenon.

In October 2019, there was, on average, only 1.99 sea urchins per square meter, far from the average of 2.54 established over the last ten years.

An assessment of the effects on the resource in three years

State services indicate that a new decree prohibits it, whether professional or leisure, from April 16 to November 30.

This decision was taken for a period of three years after "a deliberation by the regional committee for maritime fisheries and marine farming of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and a public consultation".

In 2024, an assessment of the effects of this modification on the resource will be carried out.

The prefecture of Var specifies that during the authorized period four dozen sea urchins can be taken per fisherman on foot and per day.

It is the same limit on a pleasure boat with a maximum of ten dozen per vessel per day, beyond two people on board.

"Failure to comply with these maximum authorized quantities exposes offenders to a fine which can reach up to € 22,500", recalls

Planet

Poaching, global warming… Sea urchins are rare in the Mediterranean

Planet

"Too few marine areas are really protected" in the Mediterranean, launches a researcher

  • Peach

  • Mediterranean

  • Animals

  • Sea

  • Planet

  • Nice