From 1–3 May, NRE Tas welcomed thousands of visitors through the popular Fishing Hub at Agfest in Northern Tasmania. The theme for 2025, Fish for the Future, focused on the roles of government, industry, science, and the community in ensuring the sustainability of our fish stocks for generations to come.
This year, special emphasis was placed on educating the community about Centro (longspined sea urchins). Guests could learn how to identify them by exploring spines, shells, and urchin teeth, see how giant kelp is being reseeded on rocky reefs, and discover how they can contribute by harvesting or purchasing Centro and reporting barren areas.
Outside at the cooking and filleting station, hundreds of Centro samples were handed out for tastings—delivered fresh that morning from Boomer Bay by
Salty Roe and processed in front of guests. There was significant interest in Centro biology and curiosity about the taste and texture of one of Tasmania’s emerging seafood delicacies.
NRE Tas’s Senior Fisheries Manager along with renowned IMAS Senior Research Fellow
John Keane were there to discuss ongoing research supporting the management of Centro in eastern Australia.
Look out for us at Agfest next year!