Urchin Removal Project on North Coast looking for kayaking stakeholder

This popped up on the news today. Not sure who from this forum is participating but good on you if you are!
https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/Northern-California-divers-try-to-save-abalone-12809728.php?t=0e668e14b9

I never realized how much impact these things had on the ecosystem and so I applaud you all for your efforts. I have no excuse but wish I could help in some way, shape, or form.

This is a noob question, but what can spearos/divers do on our frequent weekend warrior trips to help get rid of some of the purples? Can we just pound a couple hundred per trip? or do we take our 35 and throw them away? Or...?

Man that's depressing. I don't even dive, but I might start just so I can kill some of those bastards.

That’s Jon Holcomb in the video sucking up the urchin. 

Joshua R has been doing a lot to help get these bastards under control.  NorCal Underwater Hunters was planning a meet and greet camp weekend over the Memorial Day weekend and the event has now turned into an event to remove as many as us divers can over the weekend.  There will be raffle prizes to help raise money for the future removal by commercial divers.  Numerous freediving and scuba diving clubs and businesses have agreed to participate so this may be a great chance to clean one cove and be able to monitor its effectiveness. 

Man that's depressing. I don't even dive, but I might start just so I can kill some of those bastards.

Definitely a different perspective

This is a noob question, but what can spearos/divers do on our frequent weekend warrior trips to help get rid of some of the purples? Can we just pound a couple hundred per trip? or do we take our 35 and throw them away? Or...?

The rumor is that CAFW is close to increasing the temporary recreational take of purple urchin to 4 5 gallon buckets.  In the mean time I take 35 on most dives. 

 
Joshua R has been doing a lot to help get these bastards under control.  NorCal Underwater Hunters was planning a meet and greet camp weekend over the Memorial Day weekend and the event has now turned into an event to remove as many as us divers can over the weekend.  There will be raffle prizes to help raise money for the future removal by commercial divers.  Numerous freediving and scuba diving clubs and businesses have agreed to participate so this may be a great chance to clean one cove and be able to monitor its effectiveness. 

We've been invited to participate as well.  You don't even need to dive, as they are looking for volunteers to kayak ferry bags of urchins to a waiting boat, outside the dive area.

-Allen

This is a noob question, but what can spearos/divers do on our frequent weekend warrior trips to help get rid of some of the purples? Can we just pound a couple hundred per trip? or do we take our 35 and throw them away? Or...?

The rumor is that CAFW is close to increasing the temporary recreational take of purple urchin to 4 5 gallon buckets.  In the mean time I take 35 on most dives.

What do you do with them after the dive?

What do you do with them after the dive?

I put them in my compost pile and crush them.  Making great garden soil.   Not sure I will be taking buckets on a recreational dive but will during planned events to clean a specific cove.  At that time someone who has a place to dump large quantities will have to volunteer a place.  They can make great little art pieces or night lights but I think the large quantities would be to much for any artist. 

I am curious why the plans to eradicate the sea urchins? As they becoming an invasive species? I remember hearing stories about needing to pee on any injuries caused by their sharp needles.

TIA.



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What do you do with them after the dive?

I put them in my compost pile and crush them.  Making great garden soil.   Not sure I will be taking buckets on a recreational dive but will during planned events to clean a specific cove.  At that time someone who has a place to dump large quantities will have to volunteer a place.  They can make great little art pieces or night lights but I think the large quantities would be to much for any artist.

Wow that’s awesome. I have a friend that really wants sea urchins if you just throw them away my friend will take them

DFW approved a temporary rule to increase the limit from 35 urchins to 20 gallons per day.  Kathleen and I be at the Memorial weekend event at Ocean Cove to take our combined 40 gallons.  Will be using scuba gear. 

Obviously this won’t solve the bigger ecological issue, but it can create spot zones where the kelp can come back and the abalone can survive.  The raffle (with big donations from many supporters) will raise $ to pay commercial urchin fisherman to remove large amounts of urchins from selected locations.  They have been doing this at Caspar and Ft Bragg for the last few months.

Please consider joining the effort.  The kayak fishing will be great as well!

Check out a video of “urchin barrens” that have taken over most of our favorite Ab diving locations:

If only we had more sea otters... they love eating urchins.   

I’ll definitely be stopping at Home Depot for more buckets before the next diving trip.