Despite warnings in May that the Penghu County sea urchin population could be facing extinction, former Penghu County Zooxanthellae Association chairman Chen Chin-chuan (陳盡川) said he had recently found signs of young sea urchins around the Penghu County sea zone.
Chen in May called on the Penghu County Government to place a temporary ban on harvesting sea urchins this year due to a low population count.
However, the county government’s Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries was not able to act in time and allowed the scheduled harvest to proceed.
Photo courtesy of Chen Chin-chuan
This year’s production rates had barely reached half of last year’s rates, the bureau said, adding that Penghu residents have become more aware of sea urchin conservation.
“Locals are limiting the harvest of sea urchins, not buying sea urchins at the markets and not eating the sea urchins,” Chen said.
In a follow-up investigation, Chen found young sea urchins in the Wukan Protected Area (烏崁), the Dongji Harbor (東吉) and other areas around Penghu, but could not determine when the sea urchins were born.
Chen’s confusion stemmed from the fact that if the sea urchins were born this year, they would have been smaller than their current size, which is about 4cm to 5cm in width.
Sea urchin expert Chao Shih-min (趙世民) said records indicate that sea urchins around the equator are able to reproduce throughout the year, adding that the urchins he specializes in — primarily in the Kenting area (墾丁) — usually reproduce between April and November, with July and August marking the peak breeding season.
Penghu’s sea urchins should share a similar reproduction period, Chao said, adding that he believed the sea urchins Chen found are the result of reproduction that began in November last year.
Chao said the Penghu County government should establish a monthly record of the sea urchin population in the Wukan Protection Area, as it is an important sea urchin reproduction area.
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