Yagishiri Island launches sea urchin sustainability project with UMITO Partners

UMITO Partners and the Kita-Rumoi Fisheries Cooperative Association Yagishiri Branch in Haboro Town, Hokkaido, have launched the Yagishiri UNI-MOBA Sustainable Fisheries Project in April 2025. This project seeks to enhance the quality of sea urchins through the conservation and restoration of seaweed beds, revitalising a critical habitat for marine life.

Yagishiri Island is situated in the Sea of Japan off northwestern Hokkaido, spanning approximately 3.5 kilometres in diameter and is home to around 160 residents. The island is renowned for its abundant natural resources, designated as a Quasi-National Park, and its proximity to Musashi-tai, a prime fishing ground.

Fishing remains the island’s main industry, with nearly 20 fishers exclusively engaged in sea urchin harvesting. The island’s native northern purple sea urchins and red sea urchins, nurtured in natural seaweed beds, are highly prized for their superior quality compared to those from surrounding regions.

In recent years, however, seaweed beds have declined due to climate change, shifting oceanic conditions, and human activities. This degradation has led to reduced sea urchin quality and yield, impacting the island’s fishing economy.

This urgency brought UMITO Partners and the Association to start this project to safeguard and rejuvenate the island’s foundational marine ecosystems. Their goal is to enhance sea urchin meat quality, promote biodiversity, and balance economic activities with marine environmental sustainability.

The project encompasses several key initiatives:

• Conserving and restoring seaweed beds to bolster sea urchin quality
• Employing environmental DNA (eDNA) technologies for scientific ecosystem monitoring
• Introducing blue finance mechanisms such as blue carbon credits
• Conducting proactive public relations and outreach campaigns

UMITO Partners will steer the project, utilising its marine and fisheries expertise to design the overall framework, provide scientific and economic insights, facilitate stakeholder consensus, and manage communications. The Association will serve as the primary executor, collaborating with local and external stakeholders to advance project activities.

The project will work to brand Yagishiri Island’s sea urchins as a sustainable food source, while reinforcing the foundation for sustainable fisheries beginning at the community level.