CBC News quotes Steneck in report on urchin aquaculture
Robert Steneck, a professor of marine sciences at the University of Maine, was quoted in a CBC News report about the viability of sea urchin aquaculture. Sea urchin aquaculture research is underway in several countries, including the U.S. and Canada, and a new land-based sea urchin aquaculture operation by Quoddy Savour Seafood Ltd, in Pennfield, New Brunswick has received the environmental approval to move forward with its venture, according to the article. Steneck, who served as the scientific adviser on Maine’s Sea Urchin Zone Council, said successful urchin aquaculture is “tricky.” He cautioned Atlantic Canadian groups hoping to get into the business of urchin farming, citing the five unsuccessful attempts to create sea urchin aquaculture industries in Maine. While the technology exists to farm-raise urchins, finding a sustainable balance between the volumes required to make a profit and the infrastructure required to keep the animals healthy is a challenge. “They’ll have to be very clever to figure out a way to do it and to be able to sustain the operation, especially a land-based operation,” he said. “I certainly wish them luck.”