SEA URCHIN REMOVAL TO RECOVER NORWAY’S KELP …
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SEA URCHIN REMOVAL TO RECOVER NORWAY’S KELP FORESTS A new business opportunity to support nature restoration Large areas of Norwegian kelp forests were replaced by urchin barrens and can be recovered via effective urchin removal strategies. Sea urchin roe (gonads) is a seafood delicacy with traditional markets in many countries across the world. Sea urchins on barren grounds starve after destroying the kelp forest and become virtually empty and of no commercial value. Urchin ranching can transform them into an economically valuable seafood product. 5000 km 2 of urchin barrens remaining 80 million tonnes of urchins 16000 tonnes ~20% of urchins viable for ranching €16.7 million / km 2 Value of Laminaria kelp forests of the N Atlantic Urchin ranching process Sustainable business model for sea urchin ranching Harvesting solutions Illustration based on C-Robotics C-Bud model Harvesting technologies are being developed to increase catch efficiency, scale up urchin harvest, remove the need for divers (ROVs), reduce operating costs, and have the potential to harvest & monitor urchin populations simultaneously. Developed by The baited traps exploit the urchin’s aggregating behaviour and demonstrated high catch efficiency and cost- effectiveness. Harvested urchins are in good condition for subsequent ranching. ~165 urchins / 4.8 – 8 kg Catch rate (easy to scale up) 6 - 1 2 w e e k s r a n c h in g ti m e Production of high quality urchin roe Selection of large urchins (>40mm diameter) for ranching Small urchins used as e.g. fertilizer for agriculture Cost €/Kg TOTAL COST: 38.13 €/Kg WHOLESALE PRICE (15% Profit Margin): 44.58 €/Kg Feeding urchins with formulated feed Technology-driven harvesting solutions Collapsable Round trap 3.33 2.71 5.54 4.70 21.85 Urchin collection Feed Labour Packaging & freight Overhead (Rent,Power, SG&A, etc)
Transcript of SEA URCHIN REMOVAL TO RECOVER NORWAY’S KELP …
SEA URCHIN REMOVAL TO RECOVER NORWAY’S KELP FORESTSA new business opportunity to support nature restoration
Large areas of Norwegian kelp forests were replaced by urchin barrens and can be recovered via effective urchin removal strategies.
Sea urchin roe (gonads) is a seafood delicacy with traditional markets in many countries across the world.
Sea urchins on barren grounds starve after destroying the kelp forest and become virtually empty and of no commercial value.
Urchin ranching can transform them into an economically valuable seafood product.
5000 km2 of urchin barrens remaining
80 million tonnes of urchins
16000 tonnes ~20% of urchins viable for ranching
€16.7 million / km2 Value of Laminaria kelp forests of the N Atlantic
Urchin ranching processSustainable business model for sea urchin ranching
Harvesting solutions
Illustration based on C-Robotics C-Bud model
Harvesting technologies are being developed to increase catch efficiency, scale up urchin harvest, remove the need for divers (ROVs), reduce operating costs, and have the potential to harvest & monitor urchin populations simultaneously.
Developed by
The baited traps exploit the urchin’s aggregating behaviour and demonstrated high catch efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Harvested urchins are in good condition for subsequent ranching. ~165 urchins / 4.8 – 8 kg Catch rate (easy to scale up)
6-12w
eeks ranching time
Production ofhigh quality
urchin roe
Selection oflarge urchins (>40mm diameter)for ranching
Small urchins used as e.g. fertilizer for agriculture
Cost€/Kg
TOTAL COST: 38.13 €/KgWHOLESALE PRICE (15% Profit Margin): 44.58 €/Kg
Feeding urchins with formulated feed
Technology-driven harvesting solutions Collapsable Round trap
3.33
2.71
5.54
4.70
21.85
Urchin collection
Feed
Labour
Packaging & freight
Overhead (Rent,Power, SG&A, etc)
URCHIN BARREN
HEALTHY KELP
FORESTSRESTORATION RECOVERY
CO2
CO2
O2
b
a
c
d
e
f
QUICK LIME
TRAPPING
MECHANIC
THE PROCESS OF RESTORING KELP FORESTS FROM URCHIN BARRENSA stepwise approach using efficient harvesting methods and cross-sectoral collaborations
1 Intensive harvesting of urchins from barrens reduces abundances to sufficiently low levels to allow for kelp recolonisation.
2 Kelp beds are formed in recovery plots and urchins aggregate in the transition areas to feed on kelps and other macroalgae.
3 There is now an increased economic incentive for harvesting. Feeding urchins increase their gonad weight and hence their ranching and market value.
4 Continued removal of urchins from recovery areas is needed to avoid the reestablishment of the barren state until urchin predator populations have recovered.
5 The final state is a self-sustaining kelp forest ecosystem with all its biodiversity, ecosystem services and urchin predator populations.
Illustr
ation
and g
raph
ic de
sign J
oão T
. Tav
ares
2021
a Urchin removal from barrens via culling or harvesting b Kelp recovery plot c Harvesting urchin aggregations in transition areas to expand recovery plots d Urchin predators re-established e Monitoring f Citizen science to support urchin removal
Collaborating InstitutionsDo you want to know more?Download the full report from:https://niva.no/en/reports/restoring-norways-underwater-forestshttps://seaforester.org/#project-norway
