Review of the status of the Northern Abalone, Haliotis kamtschatkana, in Canada

Abstract

The Northern Abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana) is the only abalone species in Canada and is widely distributed along the entire outer coast of British Columbia. In the late 1970s and 1980, there was a commercial fishery, but following a peak in landings in 1978-1979, landings rapidly declined. Its distribution in commercially exploitable concentrations is patchy, making stock assessments difficult to conduct. However, in the late 1980s, consistently low estimated abundance levels and increasing evidence for a substantial illegal harvest of abalone raised conservation concerns, resulting in aboriginal, recreational and commercial fisheries closures in 1990. Studies in other abalone species suggest that abalone larvae disperse over relatively short distances. If true for Northern Abalone as well, then this species may be particularly vulnerable to localised extirpations. Through the 1990s, there was no evidence of significant Northern Abalone recruitment along Canada's Pacific coast, and because of a high price, abalone poaching is still occurring. Expansion in the range of Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris), a major abalone predator, is also increasing natural mortality. Given these circumstances, a COSEWIC status of "threatened" was recommended.