Abalone Information

In the animal Kingdom, abalone belong to the phylum Mollusca, which are worldwide and predominantly marine. Mollusks are best known for their beautifully formed and colored calcareous shells, secreted by the mantle. The abalone join other conches in the class Gastropoda, of the family Haliotidae and the genus Haliotis, which means "sea ear" referring to the shape of the shell. Worldwide there are approximately 100 species of abalone located throughout both temperate and tropical zones. In the last twenty years, the commercial catch of abalone worldwide has declined from 18,000 metric tons to little over 5,000 metric tons because of over harvesting, predation, illegal poaching, loss of habitat and competition with other species for food and living space.

Wild abalone tend to stay in one location waiting for food such as marine algae to drift by, but this food supply has also diminished due to the worsening condition of the world's oceans.

The worldwide supply of abalone has been seriously depleted along with a decline in their natural food source, hence the creation of the relatively new industry of abalone farming complete with manufactured abalone food.

The demand for this unique shellfish is quite consistent because of its unique taste. From around the world there are wonderful abalone recipes, the Japanese have recipes to suit many tastes such as boiling and steaming, but the most popular cuisine is sushi and sashimi. The favoured western styles are grilling and deep-frying in skillet.

Abalone is the traditional food in many Asian countries such as China, where it's not only a luxury food, but a health food also because of its high protein and low calorie content.

Abalone prices will be affected by factors on both the supply and demand sides of the market, but given the rate of decline of supply, it will take many years to respond to the demand thereby allowing prices to remain highly profitable.