Abalone

The Northern Abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana) is found from Alaska to Baja California and is the only species occurring in British Columbia (BC). Most adult abalone occur in nearshore, exposed or semi-exposed coastal waters at <10 m depth.  Abalone are aggregating synchronous broadcast spawners and fertilization success depends on the local density of adults and dilution of gametes. Surveys at index sites have provided a time series of abalone densities and size frequencies from the south-east Haida Gwaii and the central coast of BC (CC) every 3-5 years during 1978-2002. Abundance of northern abalone in these areas declined more than 75% between 1978 and 1989-90.  DFO banned the harvest of northern abalone in December of 1990 due to concerns of low population numbers.  Despite the harvest closure, numbers remained low and in 1999 Northern Abalone was listed as ‘threatened’ by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). As a result of the official listing, a National Recovery Strategy for the Northern Abalone was prepared. 

The short-term measurable objective set out in the recovery strategy is: “[to] ensure that mean densities of large (≥100 mm shell length (SL)) Northern Abalone do not decline below 0.1/m2 at surveyed index sites in Haida Gwaii and North and Central Coast, and that the percentage of surveyed index sites without large (≥100 mm SL) northern abalone does not increase to greater than 60%”. In other words, the percentage of index sites with large abalone should not fall below 40%.

Densities of Northern Abalone have continued to decrease despite a total ban on harvest since 1990. There is no current evidence of population recovery in BC. Low recruitment levels and continued harvest despite the fisheries closure are considered to be the most significant threats to northern abalone recovery. Expansion of the sea otter population and near shore marine development may also contribute to the decline of abalone in B.C. 

Species at Risk  

Contacts

Abalone Staff:

Joanne Lessard
250-729-8364
Joanne.Lessard@dfo-mpo.gc.ca  

Doug Brouwer
250-756-7258
Doug.Brouwer@dfo-mpo.gc.ca