DA-BAR, The Royal Netherlands Embassy support publication on sea urchin

08 April 2008
Christmas B. de Guzman

The Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) together with The Royal Netherlands Embassy supported the publication of "Sea Urchin Grow-Out Culture: Coastal Resources Management Tools" a manual based on a study on sea urchin conducted by the University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI). The manual highlights the success of grow-out culture technology with variability on the growth and survivorship rates of chosen sites.

Sea urchins (Tripneustes gratilla) are common in oceans all over the world. Locally known as "maritangtang," it is the most commercially exploited sea urchin species in the Philippines. Large population of T. gratilla was once observed in the coastal municipality of Bolinao, Pangasinan until the local people realized the lucrative export market for it, particulary its gonads or roe which is rich in glycogen, carotenoids, alanine, valine, glycine, methionine, glutamic acid, inosinic acid and gluanylic acid.

The grow-out culture for sea urchins can contribute largely to coastal resource enhancement. As it is, the technology of sea urchin in cages/pens functions as mini-reproductive reserves, and a supplemental source of livelihood for fisherfolk.

Grow-out culture effectively protects juveniles from natural predators increasing survivorship to reproductive maturity and enhancing recovery of depleted natural population. As examined, the increase of sea urchin in the area has remarkably recruited the growth of sea cucumber and other species not found in the area prior to the introduction of sea urchins.

Sea urchin grow-out culture, being a resource management tool and a great source of livelihood at the same time, is relatively new. Coastal communities in Pangasinan are more accustomed to open access fishery practices. Consequently, the need for information on practices that can harmonize both economic and ecological needs towards sustainable utilization of the fishery resources is important.

The studies conducted by the UP-MSI have shown that the success of sea urchin grow-out culture is largely dependent on the particularities of a chosen site - different growth and survivorship rates could be expected from different places. It is recommended that prospective fisher-growers may need to subject the grow-out process to initial testing.

The publication was created to function as coastal resources management tool and as an intervention strategy to disseminate data on the general considerations, grow-out procedure, and management and culture.