OK to cut up black sea urchins?

[drbill]

There are so many urchins down there...don't know how a few Socal divers are going to make a huge dent in the population by having a little fish feeding fun. You guys must eat tofu and wear Burkenstocks. All the nice shiny plastic, nylon, and metal you take scuba diving does more harm to the environment than killing a couple of urchins. Not to mention all the fossil fuels you burned getting there...

I don't consider killing other species for sport (= fun) appropriate. Just wait til the little green men from Xanadu finally arrive and start feeding us to their pets. We'll see how you like that! Must admit I find it hard to understand your position. Do you really enjoy killin or take it so lightly?

As for Burkenstocks, no thanks (although I'll eat a little granola). And normally I walk to the dive park carrying my 125-150# of gear on a hand cart even though I'm nearly 60 and I live up on top of the hill. Of course I have to agree re: the effects of manufacturing SCUBA and camera equipment on the environment- so why add to the damage we've already caused?

 

[James S]

Kayakdiver has a good point we should all listen to. Before we jump all over others for what they do , we must look at the impact of our own actions...like our cars, use of plastics ( made in factorys, remember?) ect...

"Bring bread or cereal"
That is about the worst thing to do, second to killing sea life for fun (ever been to a National Park?)

 

[iggy23]

"You guys must eat tofu and wear Burkenstocks"

I dont eat/have either however I wear wool boxers and I have been told that makes you a real man.

I think dude was just making a point about setting an example, this guy did this around a bunch of newer divers so if each of those does that and shows someone else and so on and so on I see what he means.

Kayak did make a great point however about all the other things polluting the enviorment associated with diving.

If the seaurchin thing makes you mad, I was in Loreto mexico this past week diving and we stopped at a beach in an island and the beach was littered with carcasses of atleast 100 freshly slaughtered mantarays/stingrays. It made me sick especially since I wanted to dive Loreto to see the mantarays alive not dead. Worst part is that was in the heart of the new Marine Sanctuary Park.

 

[archman]

I had also heard, and correct me if I'm wrong (Dr Bill, I'm sure you'd know this), that the urchins emit some sort of signal when they get harmed (ie - cut up) that tells the other urchins that danger is present. This signal causes them to release their gametes (reproductive "pieces") into the water, so injuring them actually results in greater populations. Is that just hogwash, or is there some truth to that?

The only way I know of to induce gamete release is the classic technique of shoving a syringe of potassuim chloride into 'em. Unfortunately this usually results in the urchin dying in a long, protracted manner.

 

[ScubaSeanMaui]

I was just at the Coronados yesterday. The Garibaldis were very pestering asking me for food. One Moray I saw I was unable to get a picture of since the Garibaldis were hovering over me like flies. Since the site Lobster Shack has so many divers who feed them urchins, these guys make their bread and butter following divers. It was nice for shots of the Garibaldis but it definitely changes the fish behavior...

Sean

 

[Kikaida]

Just some facts, make up your own mind…

Urchins are harvested in their millions of pounds each year off our coast.

You need a valid fishing license with an ocean enhancement stamp to take/kill anything in the ocean…even urchins. If you’re not licensed and you kill one you’re a poacher (1-888-DFG-CALTIP)

In parks and reserves you are not to kill or take anything…and that mean every thing.

If licensed you are allowed to harvest 35 urchins a day.

The season is year round.

Being a multimillion dollar industry, the stocks are closely monitored.

There are no problems with our stocks (see limit and season).

In areas where urchins are regularly offered up; it will modify wildlife behavior.

In large numbers, urchins can be destructive.

It’s usually a good practice to respect local divers wishes.

 

[drbill]

Kayak Diver- When I started teaching ecology and marine ecology in the late 60's, my students were often critical of the impacts of large industry on the environment. I asked them to consider the fact that these industries were also responsible for manufacturing the pack frames, hiking shoes, 35mm cameras and other gear they used on a daily basis. You are right that one must consider not only our direct actions that impact the environment but also our indirect actions, such as creating demand for the products of manufacturing industries which may pollute.

However, to sanction unnecessary and often illegal killing of marine life such as urchins is or can be a significant direct impact on the marine ecosystens when many divers are involved. Take our local Casino Point dive park- tens of thousands of divers use it every year. If each of them killed just one urchin, we'd most likely run out of them soon and they do fulfill useful ecological roles within the system.

To view killing of other species as sport (vs as food) is a mindset I cannot condone.

 

[Kayak Diver]

You guys are really fired up about this urchin thing. OK so I admit it...I broke open an urchin last weekend. A really big one. You see, there was the father of all sheephead checking me out. He was a monster of a fish. Huge. So when I held up this urchin, he came right up for a bite. I held onto the urchin with one hand, and gently rested my other hand on the sheephead's side while he ate. That was a really cool experience.

By the way, I am also greatly concerned with environmental issues. But I'm also a realist, and know that there's no way the few of us divers could ever put a dent into the sea urchin population. Blame Japan for your urchin decline.

 

[PhotoTJ]

If you absolutly must, kill them on the backside of Anacapa. Since it gets fished so hard, the only thing down there is rocks and urchins. Purple urchins, to be exact. Last time I was at the west end, it looked like a purple shag carpet. They really should close the whole island to fishing for a few years, let it restock itself.

 

[Kayak Diver]

If you absolutly must, kill them on the backside of Anacapa. Since it gets fished so hard, the only thing down there is rocks and urchins. Purple urchins, to be exact. Last time I was at the west end, it looked like a purple shag carpet. They really should close the whole island to fishing for a few years, let it restock itself.

You said it, Man! There's a HUGE difference between the two sides of Anacapa. We were on the "fishing" side yesterday and saw nothing but urchins and rocks in many areas. At least one side is offlimits to fishing...it could be worse...or another way to think of it...it could be better. (?!)

I think there should be more marine preserves in California. For example...Palos Verdes. The reefs there are incrediable and I think at least some of them should be offlimits, sort of like what we've got in La Jolla.

Found an old lobster trap yesterday that's been down since at least last year. There were 5 HUGE lobsters stuck in there...one probably weighed about 12 lbs. (!!!) I got to set them free. The females were full of eggs. Hope they make their way into the preserve.