Reported 12 months ago
On July 1, the ban on harvesting horse dung sea urchins in Penghu was lifted, resulting in chaotic pricing on the first day. Due to unclear supply and demand and limited sales channels, only traders are buying them for now, with some sporadic direct sales online, causing price discrepancies. Locals suggest comparing prices from multiple sources. Illegal harvesting incidents before the ban was lifted have depleted over half of the local sea urchin population, leading to concerns of extinction. Authorities have set restrictions on shell size to prevent further depletion and announced successful artificial breeding efforts to reduce pressure on natural populations.
Source: YAHOO