AbaloneVarious species

Details

  • Latin name: 
    Haliotis spp.
  • Seafood type: Abalone
  • Harvest method: Various
  • Region: Canada, US
  • Wild/Farmed: 
    Wild
Status: 
Not Recommended

Abalone

Credit: COSEWIC
Sustainable alternatives: 
Farmed Abalone is a sustainable seafood alternative.
Sustainability concerns: 
Wild abalone populations continue to decline due to poaching and poor management.
Due to overfishing, the wild abalone fishery in BC was closed in 1990. Stocks continue to decline. Poaching is a major concern.
Life History and Population Status: 
Northern abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana) is legally listed and protected under the Species at Risk Act in Canada. Depleted abalone stocks in Californian caused the wild fishery to close in 1997. The northern abalone is inherently vulnerable to overfishing due to being a slow growing, relatively long-lived (up to 40-50 years) sedentary species that experiences short larval periods.
Management: 
Despite a fishery closure, abalone populations continue to decline in British Columbia. In 2001 DFO introduced the Recovery Strategy for Northern Abalone. A collaborative project called Bamfield-Huu-ay-aht Community Abalone Project (BHCAP) aims to replenish threatened BC abalone populations through reintroducing cultured specimens.
Impact on Other Species: 
Where wild fisheries do exist such as in Australia, the fishing method is diver-caught. Bycatch is not a concern.
Habitat and Ecosystem Impacts: 
Habitat damage is not a concern associated with diver-caught fisheries.
Resources: 
Farmed Abalone Seafood Watch Report

Notes:

  • No or little concern in this area.
  • Significant concern in this area.
  • Area under study.