Profitability and sustainability of sea urchins fishing in Sardinia (Italy) (original) (raw)

Abstract

Fishing sea urchins is a traditional activity deeply rooted in several Mediterranean communities. Sea urchin is a basic ingredient of well appreciated typical dishes (e.g., pasta, croutons and pizza), but turnover has not been higher than that of niche markets for a long time. Also in Sardinia, production is almost exclusively sold to local consumers; nevertheless supply cannot satisfy a dramatically rising demand, especially without compromising sustainability due to potential overexploitation of the resource. Given the role played by sea urchins in marine ecosystems, the Regional Authority imposed strict restrictions on fisheries by setting the terms of fishing season, fixing a maximum daily amount of captures and a minimum size for each sea urchin harvested. More than 150 small firms are authorized to harvest sea urchins throughout Sardinian coasts. A strong pressure to overcome normative constraints is in place and facing this problem without considering the microeconomic aspect...

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