Aziz’s activity can be compared to recycling. Except that instead of using waste matter he uses sea urchins. “As I live in Blue Bay, I go with fishermen every weekend – between 4am to 10 am – to collect the sea urchins, which they use as lures.” The law prohibits picking up sea urchins except for fishing purposes. “Anyway, these sea urchins would be unusable afterwards so I keep them to make necklaces.”

Aziz sells an average of 20 necklaces everyday. Based at Caudan craft market, he also sells his products elsewhere and particularly to beach hawkers. “The business works well especially with tourists in Caudan. It allows me and my family to lead a comfortable life.”

The price of his necklaces varies from Rs 150 for the most common types of sea urchin up to Rs 3,500 for the black coral. What tourists enjoy most are the rarest products. As the latter are also the most expensive, this pleases Aziz very much.

There are some five varieties of sea urchins, among which the green one is the most difficult to get. “The deeper the urchin is in the sea, the less light it gets and the rarer the colour is.”

Black coral, which Aziz also uses to make necklaces, can only be found some 40 metres deep in the sea, so it is quite hard to find and is one of the most costly. “Tourists do not really look at the price. So long as the products are not common and are 100% made in Mauritius, they just buy them.”

As soon as urchins come out of the sea, they can be used as they are. They do not even need to be cleaned. Aziz and his six helpers just cut the spines, make a hole and thread them. Necklaces are all different; first, they are in various colours and they are used in different ways. Big ones are “sliced”, small ones can be kept as they are or sculpted with designs. Aziz also puts colourful beads between the spines to give them a special touch.

All sea urchins can be used for necklaces except the thinnest ones, which break easily. After nine years in the business, Aziz is now a professional. He has notlearnt his job from anyone. “Urchins just give me inspiration. I find them so beautiful that I have to do something good with them.”