Sorting Live Sea Urchins: When Photonics Supports Sustainable Fishing

Highly prized by gourmet enthusiasts with a taste for bold flavours, particularly in Asia and the Mediterranean, sea urchins can command a high commercial value—provided the harvested specimens are directed to the appropriate markets based on their characteristics. To maximize economic returns for the community, an advanced sorting method is essential. 

What challenges does sea urchin fishing face today?

The market price of sea urchins depends on the colour and volume of their gonads. Unfortunately, the only technique currently available to evaluate these parameters relies on post-mortem inspection. However, sea urchins destined for restaurants are sold live and can be worth up to 20 times more than those sent for processing. It is therefore critical for fishers to have access to technology that can sort live specimens at the dock—or even at sea—to maximize the value of the resource. 

Why is sorting live sea urchins a key issue?

For the Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk First Nation, located in Cacouna and practising sustainable fishing by hand-harvesting sea urchins from the depths of the St. Lawrence Estuary, the question is crucial: how can they maximize the value of the resource while protecting the ecosystem? 

How is photonics revolutionizing sea urchin sorting?

At the request of the CRBM, INO has been developing since 2022 a lighting system capable of producing images of the organs beneath the sea urchin shell. This innovation brings together sustainability, science, and local economic benefits. 

The principle of transient illumination

This process involves lighting an object in such a way as to reveal its internal structures without causing damage. Applied to sea urchins, it makes it possible to visualize the reproductive organs (gonads) directly under the shell.

Field testing under real conditions

Starting in 2023, during fishing seasons that overlapped with urchin reproduction periods, the R&D team tested the system on live specimens. These trials allowed the collection of images now stored in a growing database.

What results and prospects for the community? 

Additional fishing cycles will be required to further enrich the database, validate the technology’s potential, and ultimately train an artificial intelligence model capable of automatically sorting sea urchins. One thing is certain: the illumination system developed by INO is promising and relatively simple to manufacture, which will facilitate its industrialization when the time comes. 

An opportunity for the blue economy 

This innovation perfectly illustrates the convergence between photonics technologies and the blue economy*. It shows that advanced technology can serve small-scale fisheries and strengthen the economic autonomy of communities. 

As noted by Guy-Pascal Weiner, Director of Commercial Fisheries for the Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk First Nation: 

*The World Bank defines: “The Blue Economy is sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, while preserving the health of oceans.”

How INO can help

By applying its expertise in optics and photonics to the maritime sector, INO demonstrates that technology can support sustainable fishing practices and strengthen local economies. The project led with CRBM and the Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk First Nation illustrates how innovation can turn a fragile resource into a lasting economic opportunity. 

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