DFG News Archive

Fish and Game Commission Approves Final Plan for Abalone Recovery and Management

Sacramento - The California Fish and Game Commission adopted a plan on Dec. 9, 2005, to manage abalone populations and red abalone sport fishery along California’s coastline. The Abalone Recovery and Management Plan is the result of a five-year public process by the Department of Fish and Game (DFG), and includes improved conservation guidelines and recommendations for limited commercial and recreational abalone fisheries.

The Abalone Recovery and Management Plan focuses on science-based management of the northern California red abalone sport fishery and on the recovery of depleted abalones off the state’s central and southern coast. It takes a precautionary, adaptive approach that will use measurable criteria to guide steps that ensure California’s abalones have the opportunity to thrive.

Development of the management plan included multiple meetings of the commission and advisory panel, two public meetings, a commercial constituent workshop, and review by a panel of marine scientists. The plan was modified and improved based on comments received during the peer and public review process.

In adopting the management plan, the commission chose a recovery alternative that will consider a limited commercial and recreational fishery for red abalone at San Miguel Island, an area that is currently closed. DFG will develop a plan for the proposed San Miguel Island fishery that includes a thorough assessment of the current populations at the island for use by fishery managers, and undertakes the required environmental review process. DFG will continue to seek public input throughout this planning process. The northern California red abalone recreational fishery will continue as before, except that it will now be guided by the management plan.

The sport take of abalone is only allowed in ocean waters north of San Francisco Bay. The commercial take of abalone ended in California in 1997, the same year the recreational fishery closed south of San Francisco Bay. Recreational bag limits on abalone are currently three per day, 24 per year, during the abalone sport season. The sport season runs from April 1 to June 30, and then from Aug. 1 to Nov. 30.

The Abalone Recovery and Management Plan is available at www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/armp/index.html or in hard copy form at local DFG offices. For more information on the plan, contact DFG associate marine biologist Ian Taniguchi, (562) 342-7182.