"When snow covers the mountains surrounding the gulf, the sea urchins are aplenty." This saying from Philippe Ciccada's grandfather, a restaurateur on the Route des Sanguinaires in Ajaccio, Corsica, has seldom been proven wrong. It comes from a bygone age when purple sea urchins were plentiful and of the highest quality in Ajaccio's crystal-clear waters. Today, zini (the Corsican word for sea urchins) are scarce, and their edible gonads are often scrawny. "We don't have precise data, but our observations, along with those of fishermen, indicate a decline in the resource," said Sophie Piton, department leader at Corsica's Sea and Coastal Directorate.

Fishing for echinoderms is now only allowed from February 15 to April 15 along the entire Corsican coastline and is subject to significant restrictions. "There are quotas that must be respected. For recreational fishers, two dozen per person per day are permitted, with a maximum of seven dozen for a group," said Piton. "Professionals, meanwhile, can fish up to 500 dozen per boat per week, provided they have the necessary authorization."

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