Farming Abalone

Environmental Issues

Abalone do not eat phytoplankton, so they do not compete with other important molluscan species such as oysters and mussels. Modern abalone feeds are highly digestible, and contain lower levels of protein, fat and fibre than many aquaculture feeds, thus reducing waste outputs (Fleming et al. in Cook et al. 1998, pp. 641-647). Land-based farms have very high water exchange rates, which help to greatly dilute waste products. Use of land-based growout systems also allows efficient screening of solids prior to discharge (Maguire, 1998). In sea-based systems, screening of solids cannot be accomplished and the key variable for an environmentally appropriate operation are choosing a site with good current flow and a lease that is large enough to allow the growout units to be well spaced as with mussel operations in this state. A policy document exists covering a range of issues including environmental considerations in Western Australia (Anon., 1999).

The Department of Fisheries is committed to aquaculture industries that do not have significant environmental impacts and well managed and located abalone farms should be relatively benign.

Ancillary Products

A report by Anon. (1997) discusses some of the potential markets that exist for various by-products of the abalone production process. The largest potential ancillary market is probably for abalone pearls. Pearls sometimes occur naturally in abalone, just like oysters, and are highly prized in the Korean and other pearl-buying markets.

Abalone pearls come in three basic varieties: hemispherical or 'mabe' pearls; semi-round or 'baroque' pearls; and the high value round pearls. Although hemispherical pearls are by far the most common found in abalone, top quality round abalone pearls may fetch up to A$300 each. Research is being undertaken in Australia to improve the techniques for culturing pearls in abalone, although they are not as developed as the culture techniques for pearl oysters.