Finding a use for a pest - sea urchin roe is considered a delicacy by some

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The Great Southern Reef stretches right along Australia’s south coast from New South Wales to Tasmania and across to Western Australia. Long-spined sea urchins are native to NSW but are now spreading and decimating the reef. They have wiped out most of the healthy kelp forests as they have no predators in those waters. Their destruction of the reefs is said to be similar to the devastation caused to the Queensland Great Barrier Reef by the crown-of-thorns starfish. One solution would be to encourage the consumption of ‘uni’ or ‘kinna’ as the roe is called. This is found inside the urchin’s shell. Asian and Maori communities enjoy it and countries is Europe and Asia also find it palatable. A teaspoon of the roe can cost up to $A40 in a Melbourne restaurant. An exporting factory has now started up on the NSW south coast and interested parties are asking for government funding to help with research. Do any of our Asian members eat sea urchin roe? The photo is mine of one of the meals we had on the Queen Mary cruise ship. We didn’t any sea urchin roe though.