Sea urchins have sharp thorny spines to ward off predators but now an island-wide ban on their harvesting in Sardinia is proving a thorn in the side of the fishermen whose livelihood depends on the culinary delicacy and who say they now face ruin.
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"We are disappointed, embittered by the regional government because they've made a choice that will be disastrous for us," said Michele Puddu, a fisherman and owner of the "Becca Ricci" open-air eatery on the waterfront. Ricci is the Italian word for sea urchins.
The orange core of the urchin, known as the roe, is eaten raw with lemon or as an ingredient in pasta sauces.
The island's environment minister, Gabriella Murgia, imposed the ban on Jan. 22, saying research showed that the urchin population had fallen to nearly zero in some areas.
The fishermen say the real problem is that there are many illegal, unlicensed urchin catchers and also complain that the earlier establishment of many protected areas increased pressure on the populations of those still open.
"The fishermen are forced to concentrate in just a few areas," said Stefano Melis, a representative of a local urchin fishermen's consortium.
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