From early morning, local fishermen row basket boats and dive deep along the rocky reefs of Ba Lang An Cape in Dong Son Commune, Quang Ngai Province, to catch sea urchins, earning millions of dong each day.
A sea urchin is a small sea creature that lives in water at depths ranging from 15 to 20 meters. Divers often spend hours submerged, clinging to sharp, jagged reef formations as they carefully search for the spiny creatures.
Nguyen Van Dao, a local fisherman living in Phu Quy Hamlet in Dong Son Commune, said that harvesting sea urchins is no easy task. Divers often have to descend dozens of meters, facing high underwater pressure. It’s dangerous. Beyond the physical strain, there are additional risks posed by the urchins themselves. If divers are not careful, urchins’ spines can pierce their skin. The pain can last for days.
Young sea urchins have a spherical body, resembling rambutan fruit, with sharp, long spines that are black. As they mature, they develop into flattened, circular shapes measuring approximately 8 to 10 centimeters in diameter and 3 to 4 centimeters in thickness. The sea urchin body is full of sharp spines 3-4 cm long, and when moving, it can shoot spines.
By around 11 a.m., when the net is full, the fishermen return to shore, where women are waiting for the task of processing the catch.
Mrs. Nguyen Thi Ha, a resident of Phu Quy Hamlet in Dong Son Commune, carefully splits each sea urchin open with a small knife. With practiced hands, she gently scoops out the golden roe, regarded as the delicacy's prized component, placing it into a basket while discarding the sharp, spiny shells. To keep the freshness and reduce the odor, the roe is rinsed in clean seawater right after extraction.
On average, Mrs. Ha and her team process between 7 and 8 kilograms of sea urchin roe each day. The roe is sold at around VND300,000 (US$11.5) per kilogram, primarily to local restaurants, eateries, and directly to visitors at Ba Lang An Cape. It provides a vital source of income for the community, supporting the livelihoods of many families.
Mrs. Vo Thi Van, a member of the processing team from Phu Quy Hamlet, Dong Son Commune, said that sea urchins are not only sold at a good price but are also considered a specialty of the coastal region. The golden roe is rich and creamy, perfect for a variety of dishes such as sea urchin salad, sea urchin porridge, grilled sea urchin with scallion oil, and sea urchin fried rice. During this season at Ba Lang An, it truly is a local delicacy.
