Abalone Seafood watch

http://www.seafoodwatch.org Abalone California farmed Best choice for sustainability Abalone farming is a highly regulated, well-managed industry. Consumer Note Abalone is known as awabi when prepared for sushi. Summary Abalone has long been a delicacy around the world. You'll find several species of these large sea snails living in the wild along the Pacific coast of North America, as well as Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand. Depletion of wild populations has encouraged the farming of abalone in many countries to meet the demand for this luxury seafood. In California, the commercial abalone fishery was closed in 1997, but sport fishing is still allowed north of San Francisco. Although wild abalone populations remain in a state of recovery, abalone farming sustains continuing public consumption of this ocean delicacy. Farm-raised abalone are harvested when their shells are no more than four inches long, so any abalone bigger than that was probably poached, or sold illegally by a sport diver.