Some observers of the Maine urchin industry, which has seen phenomenal growth si

Some observers of the Maine urchin industry, which has seen phenomenal growth since it began in 1987, feel that the state has something to learn from the urchin industry on the West Coast. Landings in Alaska, Washington and Oregon have decreased by more than half in recent years, and by 40 percent in California, mostly due to regulations instituted under resource conservation programs. Many outside Maine see a need for the state to regulate the number of urchin harvesters, the season and the safety of the industry. Details