Tag Archives: Paracentrotus lividus

Fishing for sea urchins banned in Chania

A nationwide ban is in force on fishing for sea urchins at certain periods of the year. The Regional Unit of Chania has issued a press release reminding fishermen and related businesses of the rules laid down in Presidential Decree no 65/2014 which concern fishing for sea urchins of the species Paracentrotus lividus. The main points of the announcement are as follows:

According to the law, fishing for sea urchins is forbidden during the months of April, May, June, September, October and November, i.e. allowed only during the months of December, January, February, March, July and August.

For professionals, fishing is allowed only in fishing boats which have the relevant permit, while for non-professional fishermen there is a limit of 20 sea urchins per person per day, or 30 per boat.

The public are also reminded that the sale of products from amateur fishing is forbidden, the sale of sea urchins being allowed only through approved outlets and subject to strict sanitary rules, as they are a vulnerable product.

The authorities urge both professionals and consumers to observe the provisions of the law and to be especially careful as to the origin and means of distribution of the product.
(Haniotika Nea, 07/04/26)

Characteristics of the sea urchin
Paracentrotus lividus is a species of sea urchin in the family Parechinidae commonly known as the purple sea urchin. It is the type species of the genus and occurs in the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic Ocean.

Paracentrotus lividus has a circular, flattened greenish test [shell] with a diameter of up to seven centimetres. The test is densely clothed in long and sharply pointed spines that are usually purple but are occasionally other colours including dark brown, light brown and olive green.

A sea urchin with dark purple spines is shown, with inset a hand holding an opened sea urchin revealing the orange gonads.
The purple sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus is the type species, i.e. the species generally associated with the genus. Its gonads are considered a delicacy in many parts of the Mediterranean. Photos: Frédéric Ducarme; right, Marco Busdraghi, Creative Commons licences, CC BY-SA 3.0, CC BY 3.0.

Paracentrotus lividus is found throughout the Mediterranean Sea and in the eastern Atlantic Ocean from western Scotland and Ireland to the Azores, the Canary Islands and Morocco. It is most common in the western Mediterranean, the coasts of Portugal and the Bay of Biscay, where the water temperature in winter varies between 10 and 15 °C.

The gonads are considered a delicacy in Lebanon, France, Italy, Spain, Malta, and parts of Croatia, and are also eaten to a lesser extent in Greece and Tunisia.

A sea urchin with long thin spines is shown on the sea floor.
    A Lessepsian invader in the Eastern Mediterranean, Diadema setosum has long, thin spines which are mildly poisonous, but are not considered a major threat to humans.

The spines of the purple sea urchin are a hazard to bathers, and if stepped upon any fragments of the spines which have penetrated the skin should be removed with tweezers and the wound treated with antiseptic to avoid infection.

Another species of sea urchin, Diadema setosum, has extremely long, hollow spines that are mildly venomous. These can cause painful stings if stepped upon but are not considered a serious threat to humans.

One of the Lessepsian species originating from the Red Sea, Diadema setosum has migrated to the Mediterranean Sea, where it has become an invasive species, and has subsequently expanded its distribution to the Aegean and the Sea of Marmara, including Crete.
(Wikipedia)