Undercurrent News: Urchinomics launches first Norwegian venture with land-based facility
Sea urchin ranching concept Urchinomics is investing in its first land-based pilot facility in Norway, the firm told Undercurrent News.
The recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) will receive urchins take from kelp "barrens" -- marine forests which have been wrecked by the pest -- and will raise them in specialized conditions into a prized delicacy.
CEO Brian Tsuyoshi Takeda said this was the first such facility in Norway, but hopes it will be far from the last, inviting other stakeholders to help implement the practice along the coast.
"In addition to finding more places to operate commercially on our own, we will eventually look for more potential co-investors and partners along the coast who want to join in the public investment in restorative aquaculture," he said.