Divers arrested for ‘stealing’ sea urchins in Javea

EIGHT divers were arrested for allegedly illegally taking hundreds sea urchins from the sea in Javea.

They reportedly took more than 300 of the sea creatures from the sea each at Cala dels Pallers in the Portitxol area of the municipality in the first week of the sea urchin picking season, according to police sources.

The detainees, of which seven are from Denia and one from Javea, face fines of more than €600 each. It is forbidden to take sea urchins from the sea between March and December after which they must be of a minimum size and can only be caught from professional fishing boats using the regulated methods in December, January and February.

Javea Town Hall has asked the hospitality industry to be ‘responsible’ and only purchase sea urchins from regulated professionals.