In the seas around Sardinia the population of Paracentrotus lividus, the common sea urchin, has reached a point of no return which threatens to wipe out a symbolic resource of the island. The latest data from the scientific monitoring conducted between 2025 and 2026 by the regional agency Agris – in close collaboration with the Universities of Cagliari and Sassari and the International Marine Center – paint a picture of extreme suffering of the seabed.
Comparing the findings with the four-year period 2019-2023 and with the previous decade, the abundance indices are tragically reduced in certain points by up to 1/3. The scarce presence of commercial-sized specimens, the reduced overall density, the lack of recovery in protected areas and above all the dramatic absence of generational turnover demonstrate how the resource has been subjected to systematic overexploitation that is no longer sustainable.
The decree of the department and the conditions of the three-year block
Faced with the concrete prospect of a commercial extinction of the species, the regional councilor for Agriculture Francesco Agus has issued the decree which provides for a total and drastic fishing ban for 3 years, with validity extended until 2029. The measure approved by the regional council provides for a widespread blockade which will eliminate the entire supply chain: not only the picking and landing will be prohibited, but also the detention, transport, marketing and sale of pulp and fresh derived products. The ban will be absolute and will apply to both professional fishermen and sport and recreational fishing. However, the entry into force of the provision is subject to the verdict of the European Commission, called to express its opinion on the compatibility of the aid plan to support workers in the sector.
Compensation for fishermen and the verdict expected from Brussels
To protect the professional category and avoid the economic collapse of fishermen, the Sardinia Region has included a specific spending chapter in the September budget change of 2 billion euros, allocating 1,140,000 euros. The funds are intended to fully cover the losses suffered by professionals in the 4 months of the year historically dedicated to collection, from January to April, with checks carried out on the basis of registers from past years.
The dossier is currently being examined by Brussels technicians: if the European authorities establish that the compensation does not constitute prohibited state aid, the start date of the block will be made official with a second provision. Sea urchin pulp is thus preparing to disappear completely from restaurants and tables on the island, in an extreme attempt to give nature the time it needs to regenerate.
