Barbadians will have to wait longer to enjoy a local delicacy again, as the sea egg season remains closed.
A BGIS release notes that the sea eggs are still in the juvenile stage, and members of the public are being urged to refrain from placing orders or harvesting them.
Chief Fisheries Officer Dr. Shelly-Ann Cox underscored the importance of leaving the young sea eggs to repopulate before they are harvested.
She says a failure to do so would result in juvenile sea eggs being harvested, and a further depletion in the population.
The Chief Fisheries Officer says she has received reports of several divers being contacted by people placing orders for sea eggs, following the circulation of an old video showing sea eggs on the Consett Bay jetty, which suggested that the season was open.
However, Dr. Cox made it clear that the season remains closed.
An indefinite ban on the harvesting of sea eggs was passed in 2005. A Cabinet decision is required for the season to be made open.
Dr. Cox says that decision usually comes following a recommendation from the Fisheries Division, if a substantial number of sea eggs are discovered following an annual survey.
