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Description: Red
sea urchins are small, spherical echinoderms covered in long,
spiny needles. As a recently commercially harvested species,
they are harvested and processed for their roe or sex organs
considered a delicacy primarily in Japan where it is known as “uni”.
The
urchin’s shell is bright red or dark burgundy in colour and can reach
a maximum size of approximately 25 cm (10 inches) in diameter. The
roe is bright yellow and tastes light and sweet with a firm, smooth,
dry and paste-like texture.
Product
Forms: Whole urchins as well as urchin roe are available on the
market. Individual roe pieces are available packaged on wooden or plastic
trays. Frozen roe pieces are available either in bulk bags or plastic trays.
Availability: Fresh
urchin roe and whole urchin are available year round with a peak period
of September to April. Urchin roe is also available frozen year round.
Buying
Tips: High grade uni is bright yellow and has a firm texture with
small and tightly packed eggs. Avoid product that appears dull or discoloured
with grainy and loosely packed eggs. Poor quality roe will also appear
watery and taste bitter.
Storing
Tips: Store processed uni covered in the refrigerator at a temperature
just above freezing. Product is best within five to seven days of processing.
Preparation/Usage: To
prepare a whole sea urchin for use, carefully crack the shell first. Then
scoop out the roe, rinse and clean it.
Urchin roe
is popular served fresh and uncooked as sushi. It is also used in soups,
custards and other seafood dishes as a flavour enhancer.
Area
of Origin and Range of Availability: Red sea urchins are found
primarily on the shallow sub-tidal rocky shores from Baja California up
to the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska.
In British
Columbia this species is found on the exposed outer coast or areas of high
current.
Other world
suppliers include the United States, Russia, Mexico, Chile, Korea and China.
Harvest
Volume: An average of 5,500 metric tonnes or 12,000,000 pounds
of red sea urchin was harvested annually in British Columbia between 1998
and 2000.
Harvest
Method: Red sea urchin is hand picked by divers who use hand rakes
made of stainless steel to pick the sea urchin off the rocks. They then
transfer the sea urchin into a harvest bag which is hauled to the surface
when full to be tagged and stored.
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Processing
Method: Once the sea urchin is hand picked, it is delivered
live to a processing plant where it is carefully cracked open.
The roe is then scooped out, rinsed, cleaned and set with a light
brine/preserving solution before being placed into small wooden
or plastic trays. Finally, the trays are refrigerated, placed
in insulated containers and air shipped to customers often within
48 hours of being off-loaded at the dock.
Markets: Over
90% of the local harvest is exported to Japan while the majority of the
balance is sold locally in BC sushi restaurants.
Sustainability: The
main management tools in the red sea urchin fishery to ensure sustainability
include: a minimum harvest size to allow spawning; a conservative quota
system allowing a total allowable catch of 2% of the estimated biomass;
an individual quota system; limited licence entry; protected harvest areas;
on-grounds monitoring, and; off-load validation.
The Pacific
Urchin Harvesters Association ratified the code of conduct for responsible
fishing in 1999. The code provides general principles and guidelines for
commercial fishing operations. Adherence to the code will contribute directly
to the conservation of stocks and the protection of the aquatic environment
for present and future generations.
Historical
and Anecdotal Information: Sea urchins were primarily considered
ocean pests until the 1970s when a market for their sex organs developed
in Japan. The first landings of red sea urchins in BC were recorded in
1978 and the fishery today “uni” is considered a seafood delicacy referred
to as the “ocean viagra”.
Other
Species: Red sea urchin is the largest of five species of sea
urchins found on Canada’s west coast. The other most recognized species
and currently harvested species is green sea urchin.
| NUTRITIONAL
INFORMATION |
| Per
3.5 oz/100 grams of raw product |
 |
| Fat
Calories |
29 |
| Total
fat |
16g
(195 raw edible portion) |
| Cholesterol |
55
mg |
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| Source: The
Complete Seafood Handbook King, Shirley Fish: The Basics. Simon
and Schuster, 1990. |
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For
Additional Information And A List of current Product Suppliers, Contact:
Pacific
Urchin Harvesters Association
902 — 4th Street,
New Westminster, B.C
Canada V3L 2W6
Phone: 604.524.0322
Fax: 604.524.0123
email: phm@telys.net
website: www.puha.org |
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