Grant Award View - GA5132
Development of a Processing Facility for Long-Spined Sea Urchin Roe
The long-spined sea urchin devours the natural kelp on Tasmania s east coast and creates hectares of unproductive barrens . The pest depletes rock lobster and abalone stocks, jeopardising Tasmania's $1 billion fisheries industry. Our project will convert the ocean's pest into a highly prized commodity, sea urchin roe. To meet local and Asian demand, we will establish a processing and packing facility producing up to 24 tonnes of sea urchin roe per year. Our plant will generate 12 jobs in the first 2 years, and a number of ancillary jobs in the local diving, tourism, transportation and logistics industries. This project will also regenerate Tasmania s reefs, and help protect the valuable abalone and rock lobster fisheries industry.