Purple urchins, the final word.

[Eric Sedletzky]

https://maps.apple.com/?ll=38.54674...xatot5nPTXsA5/kE/p6NGQ0BB9I08trfSXsBQBA==&t=h
The bowl is where I dropped the pin.

 

[Bob DBF]

When I had air left over I'd hang out there and look for little critters, before going in.

 

[happy-diver]

Months after being pricked, I'm there hacking at and pulling out nodules with pliers

My remaining fingers thank me!

Nodular granulomatous lesions
Nice!

 

[Panpangato]

Surprised to find this thread after diving point lobos yesterday. The middle reef area near the worm patch was infested with small purple urchin. They were literally everywhere - on the rocks, kelp, ground.

Sharing some photos here.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Surprised to find this thread after diving point lobos yesterday. The middle reef area near the worm patch was infested with small purple urchin. They were literally everywhere - on the rocks, kelp, ground. View attachment 669591 View attachment 669592 View attachment 669593 View attachment 669594 View attachment 669595 Sharing some photos here.

That looks bad.
Unfortunately it’s even worse up here but at least we’re allowed to remove them.

 

[dightydiver12]

Here’s something that might interest Northern California divers and those specifically involved in the purple urchin issue.

I emailed the main guy in charge of the purple urchin issue at CDFW.
Here’s the email I got back.
It’s pretty cut and dry. Now I know the rules for sure, no more heresay. I should have just done this from the start.

“ Hi Eric,

Thanks for your interest and questions. Below I've provided some information that might be useful.

- In December 2020, the California Fish and Game Commission adopted a regulatory amendment to the sport harvest regulations for sea urchin ( https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=184900&inline ).

- As of April 1, 2021 this amendment allows divers with a valid California sport fishing license to take unlimited purple sea urchin and red sea urchin, including via underwater culling (i.e. crushing urchins underwater using hand tools) at Tanker Reef in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. See Section 29.06 of the 2021-2022 California Recreational Ocean Fishing Regulations (California Recreational Ocean Fishing Regulations).

- The amendment also allows divers with a valid California sport fishing license to take unlimited purple sea urchin, including via underwater culling, at Caspar Cove in Mendocino County. See Section 29.06 of the 2021-2022 California Recreational Ocean Fishing Regulations. ( California Recreational Ocean Fishing Regulations ).

- Urchin culling is legal at these two locations ONLY. Urchin culling is not legal anywhere else in California

- Divers who wish to cull purple and/or red sea urchins must obtain a valid California sport fishing license, available at Sport Fishing Licenses and Report Cards

- Divers who wish to harvest purple and/or red sea urchin outside of Tanker Reef or Caspar Cove should be aware that the daily bag limit is 35 individuals of each species per day, except for Humboldt, Mendocino, and Sonoma Counties, where the daily bag limit for purple sea urchin is 40 gallons (of whole urchins) per day. There is no possession limit for sea urchin. See Section 29.06 of the 2021-2022 California Recreational Ocean Fishing Regulations (California Recreational Ocean Fishing Regulations)

- A valid California sport fishing license is required and divers must observe marine protected area (MPA) regulations, which are available at California's Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network

Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Regards,
James

________________
James Ray
CDFW | Marine Region
Office: (707) 441 5755

there is a weird section of the wild life regulations it states here in the bolded that I can not take anything from above Monterey so what does this mean or has it been over turned.
29.05. General.

(a) Except as provided in this article there are no closed seasons, closed hours or minimum size limits for any invertebrate. The bag limit on all invertebrates for which the take is authorized and for which there is not a bag limit otherwise established in this article is 35. In San Francisco and San Pablo bays and saltwater tributaries east of the Golden Gate Bridge invertebrates may not be taken at night except from the shore.

(b) Take of all invertebrates is prohibited within state marine reserves. Take of certain invertebrates may be prohibited within state marine parks and state marine conservation areas as per sub-section 632(b). In addition, tidal invertebrates may not be taken in any tidepool or other areas between the high tide mark (defined as Mean Higher High Tide) and 1,000 feet seaward and lateral to the low tide mark (defined as Mean Lower Low Water) except as follows:

(1) Except where prohibited within state marine reserves, state marine parks, state marine conservation areas, or other special closures only the following may be taken: red abalone, limpets, moon snails, turban snails, chiones, clams, cockles, mussels, rock scallops, native oysters, octopuses, squid, crabs, lobsters, shrimp, sand dollars, sea urchins and worms except that no worms may be taken in any mussel bed, unless taken incidental to the harvesting of mussels.

(c) Measuring Devices. Every person while taking invertebrates which have a size limit shall carry a device which is capable of accurately measuring the minimum legal size of the species taken.

(d) In all ocean waters skin and Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (SCUBA) divers may take invertebrates as provided in this article except that in all ocean waters north of Yankee Point (Monterey Co.), SCUBA may be used only to take sea urchins, rock scallops and crabs of the genus Cancer. For the purpose of this section, breathing tubes (snorkels) are not SCUBA.

(e) It shall be unlawful to use or possess any hydraulic pump or other device capable of liquifying sand within 100 yards of any place where marine invertebrates may be present, except in a permanent residence.

 

[dightydiver12]

there is a weird section of the wild life regulations it states here in the bolded that I can not take anything from above Monterey so what does this mean or has it been over turned.
29.05. General.

(a) Except as provided in this article there are no closed seasons, closed hours or minimum size limits for any invertebrate. The bag limit on all invertebrates for which the take is authorized and for which there is not a bag limit otherwise established in this article is 35. In San Francisco and San Pablo bays and saltwater tributaries east of the Golden Gate Bridge invertebrates may not be taken at night except from the shore.

(b) Take of all invertebrates is prohibited within state marine reserves. Take of certain invertebrates may be prohibited within state marine parks and state marine conservation areas as per sub-section 632(b). In addition, tidal invertebrates may not be taken in any tidepool or other areas between the high tide mark (defined as Mean Higher High Tide) and 1,000 feet seaward and lateral to the low tide mark (defined as Mean Lower Low Water) except as follows:

(1) Except where prohibited within state marine reserves, state marine parks, state marine conservation areas, or other special closures only the following may be taken: red abalone, limpets, moon snails, turban snails, chiones, clams, cockles, mussels, rock scallops, native oysters, octopuses, squid, crabs, lobsters, shrimp, sand dollars, sea urchins and worms except that no worms may be taken in any mussel bed, unless taken incidental to the harvesting of mussels.

(c) Measuring Devices. Every person while taking invertebrates which have a size limit shall carry a device which is capable of accurately measuring the minimum legal size of the species taken.

(d) In all ocean waters skin and Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (SCUBA) divers may take invertebrates as provided in this article except that in all ocean waters north of Yankee Point (Monterey Co.), SCUBA may be used only to take sea urchins, rock scallops and crabs of the genus Cancer. For the purpose of this section, breathing tubes (snorkels) are not SCUBA.

(e) It shall be unlawful to use or possess any hydraulic pump or other device capable of liquifying sand within 100 yards of any place where marine invertebrates may be present, except in a permanent residence.

Sorry, I am also a newbie

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Sorry, I am also a newbie

The way the regulations are written,
It clearly states what you CAN take on scuba.
The list would be too long to list all the things that you cannot take on scuba.

 

[dightydiver12]

The way the regulations are written,
It clearly states what you CAN take on scuba.
The list would be too long to list all the things that you cannot take on scuba.

Thank you so much also do you have any tips for beginners. I am planning to get my cert within the next month or 2 and I have also been working on my breath holding.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Thank you so much also do you have any tips for beginners. I am planning to get my cert within the next month or 2 and I have also been working on my breath holding.

What sort of tips, do you mean on hunting?
Sure! Ask away.
I’m glad you’re breathhold diving. Freediving is a very valuable skill to have and it will add to your comfort in the water and your watermanship skills. People who freedive/skindive before getting scuba certified have a much easier time.