[en] Sea urchin gonads have been consumed since pre-historic times and trade in Europe goes back since ancient times (Allain, 1972; Lawrence, 2001). Paracentrotus lividus is the common European edible sea urchin species. It is distributed along the Atlantic coast, from Ireland to Morocco, including the Azores and Canary islands, and throughout the Mediterranean Sea. In most of its geographical areas, it is the most exploited species and its gonads are highly appreciated and consumed locally. Sea urchin fisheries in France are some of the oldest in the world, with P. lividus dominating these fisheries.
