Abalone (farmed)
Haliotis spp.

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Who knew that a marine gastropod with a Latin name that sounds like bad breath could taste so good? A single-shell mollusk in the genus Haliotis, abalone belongs to an order that includes snails, whelks, and sea slugs. Worldwide there are over one hundred species of abalone, over 15 of which are farmed commercially.

The California coastline is ideal abalone habitat. In the 1950s and ’60s, the state’s commercial catch was almost 5,000 MT (11 million pounds) of red, black, and pink abalone. However, flawed management strategies and a devastating disease have decimated California’s abalone populations. Although a small sport fishery for red abalone still occurs in northern California, the state has had no commercial abalone fishery since 1997 and the U.S. has banned commercial catch of wild abalone nationwide. Worldwide, the commercial catch of abalone has decreased by 50-95 percent in the past twenty-five years. Australia remains the only country with a viable commercial fishery for abalone (blacklip, greenlip, and Roe’s abalone).

To meet demand for this prized delicacy, abalone farming has grown substantially in the past decade, with world supply now over 18,000 MT (40 million pounds). In 2004 China alone produced 83 percent of the world’s farmed abalone. All U.S.-raised abalone are from California, which produced over 200 MT (440,000 pounds) in 2004, representing just over one percent of world supply. U.S. production is expected to increase gradually over the next decade, and Canada is looking to start farmed abalone production in British Columbia. Abalone farms are also found in Mexico, South Africa, Australia, Japan, Ireland and Iceland.

CONSERVATION NOTES

In the 1990s, illegal catch of abalone exploded as Asian demand grew. Today, worldwide populations are a fraction of what they once were, and some experts estimate that one-third of the abalone traded in the world today is caught illegally.

The good news is that abalone farmers have made great strides in farming abalone in a sustainable manner. In China, the largest abalone farms grow their own kelp to feed abalone, while in other areas farmers use wild kelp. While taking kelp from the wild is usually a process entailing minimal to no impacts, some scientists are concerned that removing kelp disrupts food, habitat and vital nursery areas for numerous other species.

IN SEASON

• Limited supply available year-round

PRODUCT FORM

• Live
• Processed, tenderized meats (fresh, frozen and canned)

BUYING TIPS

• In the market, farmed abalone ranges from two to four inches. If abalone is larger than four inches, it’s likely to be imported wild abalone (or poached from California).
• When tenderized and cooked, abalone has a mild, slightly sweet flavor similar to both lobster and calamari, with a firm but tender texture.
• Tenderized cuttlefish steaks are sometimes passed off as “abalone steaks.” If you’re not sure of your product’s origin, check for needle marks—the telltale sign that a meat tenderizer has been used, and evidence that the product is not abalone..