On July 1 every year, residents of the off-shore Penghu Islands are able to catch sea urchin legally. However, this year, some say the catch has shrunk to just one-tenth of last year’s volume.
The sea urchin, roughly 12 centimeters in size, is about the size of one’s palm. Starting July 1, Penghu residents are allowed to catch sea urchin legally for a short period.
But one woman says there are few sea urchin to be had this year, only a handful. She says people went out last night but didn’t catch anything.
Another says given that the catch on the first day of the season was 400 to 500 sea urchin, this year’s catch appears to be only one-tenth the size of last year’s catch.
What’s behind this sudden drop? Some believe the sea urchin may have been frozen to death due to last year’s cold winter. Still others suspect that someone has been out early, gathering sea urchin while it was still illegal.
The plummeting of the sea urchin catch is bad news for Penghu residents. What’s even worse, it comes as the COVID-19 pandemic leaves this year’s Penghu International Fireworks Festival canceled for the first time ever.