Shores still closed to sea egg harvesting

The sea egg season remains closed as authorities urge the public to refrain from placing orders or harvesting the sea eggs, which are still in their juvenile stage.

In a statement on Friday, Chief Fisheries Officer Dr Shelly-Ann Cox issued a plea for the protection of these young sea urchins to allow them to repopulate before any harvesting occurs. She stressed that failing to do so would result in the harvest of juvenile sea eggs, further depleting their population.

Reports have emerged of individuals contacting divers to place orders for sea eggs, apparently prompted by an old video circulating on social media, which falsely suggested that the sea egg season was open.

Dr Cox clarified that the season remains closed as the number of sea eggs observed in recent surveys was not substantial, with the majority being juveniles.

An indefinite ban on sea egg harvesting was imposed in 2005, and any decision to reopen the season requires approval from the Cabinet, the chief fisheries officer noted. 

Typically, this decision is made following a recommendation from the Fisheries Division, based on the discovery of a substantial number of sea eggs during the annual survey. (BGIS)

Chief Fisheries Officer Dr Shelly-Ann Cox.