Recreational scallop diving permits can be purchased from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Because only the muscle is eaten, the scallop industry is not affected by toxic algal blooms or other toxins which can affect clams, mussels, oysters, etc. The spines are relatively short. They also scavenge and are attracted to baited lobster traps. When found in tide pools, gulls readily consume urchins by breaking them open.
Urchins sometimes camouflage themselves with bits of seaweed, shells and small pebbles.
Urchins are dragged from the bottom using a specially designed gear which protects the urchins from being crushed by limiting the number of rocks picked up in the gear. Scuba is also used to collect urchins in Maine but no one still dives for urchins in the Grand Manan archipelago. The roe is extracted in processing plants and sold in the Japanese fish market. Regulation of the urchin fishery involves licensing, quotas, minimum shell size, seasonal closures, and designated fishing areas. Periwinkles are grazers of seaweeds.