California Fisheries Atlas - Abalone

Updated June 2008

Species	5 species fished before closure: Red (Haliotis rufescens); Pink (H. corrugate); Green (H. fulgens); White (H. sorensensi); Black (H. cracherodii); Pinto (H. kamschatkana)
Life history (biology, habitat, range)	Seawater temperature strongly influences geographic range, growth, and reproduction, but abalones generally found intertidal zone out to depths of 200 feet Red and Black abalones found from Baja to OR while Pink, Green and White are more common in S CA waters Synchronous broadcast spawners where density appears very limiting (distances > 4 feet may limit fertilization) May not successfully reproduce and/or recruit annually
Stock assessment status	All species depleted in central and southern California; Red abalone more abundant off the North coast where recreational fishery still takes place Fishery underwent spatial and interspecific depletion after the mid 1940s Combined commercial landings data mask patterns of serial depletion by species Cumulative impacts include sea otter population; pollution; withering syndrome White abalone is listed as Endangered in 2005 (first marine invertebrate proposed for ESA)
Vulnerability	All 5 species depleted off central and southern CA Red abalone in Northern CA likely more resilient - ‘de facto reserves’ because of method of take: only recreational free-diving or shore-picking allowed
Protected/declared species interactions	Abalone is a preferred prey species of the CA sea otter
Gear types	SCUBA and free diving when there was a commercial fishery
Management, commercial	Commercial fishery closed for all species in 1997; No commercial take currently permitted
Jurisdiction(s)	CA Fish and Game Commission
FMP	Abalone Recovery and Management Plan http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/armp/index.asp
Code sections	14 CCR §100 and FGC §§ 5520-5522
Restricted access	N/A
TAC	N/A Average landing weight was 190,330 lbs for 1986-1997, with the lowest total of 43,153 lbs in 1997, the year before the fishery closed (see graph below)*
Current seasons, size limits, other restrictions	N/A
Fishery closures/ MPAs	Commercial fishery closed statewide; Recreational fishery closed from SF Bay south ‘De facto’ marine reserves off North coast for free-dive recreational fishery Recently completed North-Central coast MLPA recommendations included evaluation of MPA designation to abalone resources
Proposed regulations	Pilot fishery near San Miguel Island
Recreational component	Sport fishing is allowed North of SF Bay
Which species	Red abalone only
Gears fished	Free diving and shore picking only are allowed; no SCUBA
Code sections	14 CCR §§ 29.15-29.16
Regulations	Season is Apr-Jun and Aug-Nov during daylight hours Limit is 3 red abalone/day and no more than 24 red abalone/year Minimum size is 7” Report card requirement with tags to affix to any abalone taken
RecFIN/ CRFS info	Estimates from 2000 report card program are 728,000 abalones taken over 202,000 trips
Social context
Participation statewide	97 commercial abalone diving permits issued in 1997 (last year of commercial fishery) Compared to 383 commercial abalone permits in 1975; in 1977 a capacity goal of 200 was set to be achieved through attrition; in 1985 legislation mandated number of permits be reduced to 100 (from about 130 at the time) by attrition
Participation by area	For Northern sport fishery from ’98-’00 average participation estimated at 38,000 Primarily Sonoma and Mendocino counties, with possibility of site-based (as opposed to species-based) serial depletion
Fishing and trade organizations	California Abalone Association
Seafood industry context	Abalone is a delicacy in many Asian markets, and is imported for sale in the US Poaching and illegal commercialization of CA abalone is a problem, with the last major arrest(s) by DFG wardens in September 2007 Approximately 70% of abalone production worldwide is from aquaculture; there are a few abalone farms in California
Product forms	Dried, canned, boiled, whole steaks, live
Seafood selector status	Farmed abalone a good choice
MSC certification status	N/A
Potential for value added	Any commercial value from local abalone currently captured in black market
Miscellaneous
Sources	DFG Marine Region Abalone Resources http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/abalone.asp DFG Marine Region 2004. Annual Status of the Fisheries Report Through 2003. Abalone Section http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/status/report2003/abalones.pdf DFG Marine Region 2001. California’s Living Marine Resources: A Status Report. Abalone Section http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/status/abalone.pdf DFG Marine Region News Releases 09/14/07 “Operation Hat Trick Nets Abalone Violators” http://www.dfg.ca.gov/news/news07/07068.html SeafoodSource.com 05/23/08 “Abalone Aquaculture Dialogue Now Underway” http://www.seafoodsource.com/NST-6-50043895/Abalone-Aquaculture-Dialogue-Now-Underway.aspx