Thousands of endangered sea urchins are being pulled from the sea in Greece, as fisherman succumb to lucrative profits.
The illegal smuggling of endangered sea urchins has reached "epidemic proportions" in Greece, as demand for luxury food fuels a lucrative black market.
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Recently, the Greek coastguard caught a fisherman in the region of Chalkida who had pulled 2,500 sea urchins from the sea. This breaches the law in terms of the period and quantity of fishing.
The 44-year-old was sanctioned and the endangered species were returned back into the water. However, this is just one of many incidents plaguing Greece.
Inside Greece's black market demand for sea urchins
In the last three years alone, the Greek authorities have made significant seizures of sea urchins. In late February, for example, a 38-year-old man was arrested for having caught 59kg of sea urchins to sell to restaurants.
This mainly occurs in areas of northern Greece and the islands, where illegal fishing is fuelled by high demand in the catering sector.
This is for two main reasons: firstly, sea urchins are becoming scarce due to climate change - and secondly, they are considered a luxury food for taverns and restaurants who will do anything (even buying sea urchins on the black market) to have them on the menu and charge high prices to customers.
One only needs to do an online search to see that sea urchin eggs (i.e. the inside) can cost more than €300 per kilo. Their low availability is making prices surge even higher.
Both professional and amateur fishermen are aware of this and are constantly trying to take sea urchins and sell them illegally to interested parties.
The fact that sea urchin fishing is quite simple and does not require expensive equipment (a knife or fork is enough) has motivated many to get involved in what the authorities refer to as 'sea urchin smuggling'.
But uncontrolled sea urchin removal disturbs the balance of the sea, as sea urchins control the growth of algae. Their absence can lead to excessive algal growth, while their overpopulation creates 'urchin barrens'.
Is fishing for sea urchins allowed?
Legislation allows recreational fishing in certain quantities, such as 20 urchins per person per day or 30 if fished from a recreational vessel, and expressly prohibits their sale.
For professional fishermen the quantity of sea urchins that can be harvested per day is 600, but it is surrounded by a very strict framework.
The catching of sea urchins by professionals is only permitted during the months of January, February, March, July, August and December each year and from one hour after sunrise to one hour before sunset.
It is also permitted only in sea areas other than ports, bays with permanent moorings, as well as wrecks, minefields, and in specially prohibited fishing areas etc, as defined by the health regulations in force at the time.
Greece's response to sea urchin smuggling
The authorities have tightened controls, and the penalties for illegal fishing or selling of sea urchins by amateurs are particularly severe.
Administrative fines range from €400 to €3,000 for simple limit violations, while fines for large quantities can reach up to €20,000.
In serious cases of smuggling, imprisonment of up to one year is possible. Those caught illegally fishing sea urchins will have their catch and fishing gear confiscated. In extreme cases, their vessel or transport vehicle will also be taken away.
