Sea urchins are increasingly farmed for their roe (uni), a delicacy in Japanese cuisine. As production scales up, welfare considerations for these spiny echinoderms deserve attention.
Sea urchin welfare sits in the uncertain territory of invertebrate moral status. Their behavioral responses to harm and the presence of chemical pain signaling systems suggest precautionary care is warranted. From a welfare perspective, overcrowded farming conditions that cause mortality and roe degradation are both ethically concerning and economically counterproductive. Sustainable sea urchin farming that avoids overcrowding and provides appropriate food sources represents a better model.