Sea urchins are farmed for their roe in growing aquaculture operations, with limited attention to their potential welfare needs.
Sea urchin sentience remains poorly understood, but they do exhibit nociceptive responses to harmful stimuli and show behaviors consistent with pain avoidance. Farmed urchins in high-density systems may experience stress from crowding and handling. Under the precautionary principle, improving conditions and minimizing handling stress are prudent even under uncertainty about their subjective experience.