The Thorny Business of Diving for Sea Urchins in Maine
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [CNN] By Sarah LeTrent - January 21, 2015 -
Bath, Maine, Joe Leask spends most of his workday much like he starts it: swallowed in darkness. First by the morning, and later by the sea.
When Leask started diving in 1992, 100% of the fished urchins were exported to Japan. Now, only 20% are shipped abroad while the other 80% are shipped domestically, Tamaki says.
"We started out diving for 25 cents an urchin. When I got 35 cents a pound, I thought I was going to get rich. Then, it hit a dollar a pound and we all celebrated -- and then it hit $2 a pound," Leask says, adding that in recent years, the price has gone as high as $7.60 a pound.
The Maine Sea Urchin Zone Council has divided the region into two zones, with a 15-day season for Zone 1 divers and a 38-day season for Zone 2. In Zone 2, Leask is permitted to fill up only seven bins weighing 600 pounds total per day, and dive Monday through Wednesday.
The council also imposed a moratorium on licenses. As of 2013, there were 37 active divers in Zone 1 and 77 active divers in Zone 2; with the average ages at 49 and 46 years old, respectively.
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