Abstract

The white sea urchin (Tripneustes ventricosus), referred to as ‘sea egg’ in Grenada, is most commonly found in nearshore habitats along the east and southeast coasts from River Antoine to Calliste. The sea egg fishery was closed in 1995 after it collapsed following a period of increasing harvest aimed at meeting local and export demand. This paper describes the sea egg fishery in Grenada prior to its closure. It also examines how the fishery may operate should it be re-opened. The research was undertaken in Grenada during the summer of 2008 using a methodology that began by meeting with dive fishermen and conducting participatory observation while accompanying them in reef fishing. This was followed by semi-structured interviews with divers, fisheries officials and marketers. Data were also obtained through a review of fisheries documents and by participating in a survey of sea egg fishing areas undertaken by Grenadian fisheries officials and dive fishermen. Prior to closure, the commercial sea egg fishery in Grenada was mainly comprised of young men ages 15 - 35 who dove with snorkel, fins and mask, using rowboats to reach productive sea egg grounds. Sea eggs were sold locally along the roadside roasted in the shell or raw packed in plastic bags. They were exported by plane, packed raw in containers or plastic bags through a small number of agents based in southern Grenada and whose major market was Barbados and Martinique. Should the fishery be reopened without adequate provision for management, its sustainability may be threatened by harvesting and marketing networks that could facilitate rapid resource depletion.

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