Sea urchin aquaculture is growing globally for the premium gonads (uni) market and questions about echinoderm welfare are becoming relevant to production standards.
The welfare status of sea urchins remains uncertain given limited evidence about echinoderm pain capacity. Welfare concerns in aquaculture include crowding stress, handling injuries from spines breaking and tests cracking, water quality issues, and transport stress. The precautionary principle suggests minimising unnecessary harm and supporting research into echinoderm welfare.