Pinto Abalone
Pinto Abalone
Haliotis kamtschatkana
Quick Facts
Pinto Abalone. Credit: Adam Obaza, Paua Marine Research Group
Pinto Abalone. Credit: Adam Obaza, Paua Marine Research Group
About the Species
Pinto abalone are herbivorous marine snails with one shell and a strong, muscular “foot” that is used to move as well as to grip tightly onto hard surfaces. Pinto abalone range from Southeast Alaska to Baja California, Mexico.
Pinto abalone live in kelp beds along well-exposed coasts. They occur from the low intertidal zone to 40 meters (120 feet) depth. The typical depth range varies by location (shallower depths in the northern part of the range and deeper depths in the southern part of the range). Pinto abalone can reach a maximum length of about 6.5 inches, and live at least 15 to 20 years. They have separate sexes and are broadcast spawners, likely spawning in April to July.
The oval-shaped shell protects the abalone from predators. Shell shape and pattern can vary. The shell is multi-colored and characterized by irregular lumps on the outer surface. The epipodium, or tentacles surrounding the foot, are mottled yellow to dark tan in color, with vertical banding patterns and a lacy edge. These tentacles are used to sense food and predators. On the left side of the shell are slightly elevated respiratory pores (typically three to six open pores in the northern part of the range and four to seven in the southern part of the range).
Pinto abalone are especially vulnerable to overharvest due to several characteristics. They aggregate during spawning and have a patchy distribution, short larval period, slow growth, and low recruitment that comes in irregular waves. All of these characteristics make the species prone to localized depletion when harvest is concentrated in a given area.
Status
British Columbia
Pinto abalone are currently listed as endangered (i.e., facing imminent extirpation or extinction) in British Columbia under Canada's Species at Risk Act (SARA). This listing was based on continued low population numbers and declines despite the closure of abalone fisheries throughout British Columbia since 1990. The species was first assessed in 1999 by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and designated as threatened by COSEWIC in 2000 and later under SARA in 2003. COSEWIC re-examined and up-listed pinto abalone to endangered in 2009, due to continued population declines primarily attributed to poaching (COSEWIC 2009). Up-listing to endangered status under SARA followed in 2011. For more information, see the COSEWIC assessment and status report (2009).
Pinto abalone are also included on British Columbia's Red-list, with a global status of G3G4 (indicating uncertainty regarding the species' status as vulnerable or apparently secure) and a provincial status of S2 (i.e., imperiled in the nation or state/province because of rarity due to very restricted range, very few populations, steep declines, or other factors making it very vulnerable to extirpation from the nation or state/province) (BC Conservation Data Centre 2014).
United States
In 2013, we received two petitions—one from the Center for Biological Diversity (PDF, 54 pages) and another from the Natural Resources Defense Council (PDF, 41 pages)—to list the pinto abalone as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and to designate critical habitat. We conducted a status review and concluded that listing the pinto abalone as endangered or threatened under the ESA was not warranted (79 FR 77998).
In 2019, pinto abalone were designated as endangered in the State of Washington. For more information, see the Status Report for Pinto Abalone in Washington State (2019).
Threats
Demographic Concerns
Although long-term declines have been observed throughout the species’ range, the severity of these declines varies by location. Populations at the San Juan Islands in Washington appear to be experiencing recruitment failure. Throughout the rest of the species' range, densities remain low but recurring and/or recent recruitment events have been observed. Several index sites in British Columbia have even seen increased numbers and densities of pinto abalone.
Historical data is not available to assess the status of the species prior to fisheries harvest and prior to the removal of sea otters throughout most of the coast. Lacking this baseline for comparison increases the uncertainty regarding how to interpret the limited demographic data available for the species, and points to the need for improved monitoring of pinto abalone populations throughout its range in order to adequately assess the species' status.
Factors for Decline
Pinto abalone face low to moderate threats throughout their range. Of greatest concern are low densities resulting from past fisheries harvest of pinto abalone, the potential threat posed by ocean acidification, and illegal harvest due to poaching and inadequate law enforcement. There is also the potential for reduced genetic diversity as a consequence of low population densities and for predation (particularly by increasing populations of sea otters) to further reduce local densities. Oil spills and disease outbreaks also pose a risk, but are difficult to predict and should be addressed through careful planning, monitoring, and management.
The 2014 Status Review Report for Pinto Abalone provides a more detailed description and assessment of threats.
Featured News
Monitoring work at Salty Lady Seafood farm. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.
Pinto abalone. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
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Management Overview
Conservation and Management in Alaska
Commercial Fishing
Following plunging harvest and catch per unit effort through the mid-90s, commercial fishing for abalone in Alaska was closed by the State of Alaska's Department of Fish and Game in 1996. The harvest peaked at over 350,000 pounds annually in 1979 and 1981.
Sport Fishing
The abalone sport fishery was closed in 2013.
Subsistence and Personal Use Fishing
Subsistence and personal use fisheries, managed by Alaska's Department of Fish and Game, allow qualifying residents to harvest abalone intertidally by hand at low tide. Both harvests continue, although limits were reduced in 2012.
Population Monitoring Surveys
No formal long-term monitoring has been conducted in Southeast Alaska. However, since 1990, Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) has recorded qualitative observations of pinto abalone during dive surveys of other species, such as red sea urchins and sea cucumbers.
In recent years, ADFG collaborated with the Sitka Sound Science Center to conduct pinto abalone surveys in Sitka Sound. From 2015-2020, NOAA Fisheries supported pinto abalone monitoring programs conducted by ADFG and the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) in southern Southeast Alaska.
Long term monitoring sites were established and surveys associated with these programs were conducted in 2016 and 2019. Data include estimates of abalone density, population size structure, abundance, and habitat characteristics. The goal of the programs is to establish a survey structure to better gauge abundance of pinto abalone in Alaska and monitor population trends over time.
The ADFG published a final report for the 2016 surveys (PDF, 96 pages), and the final 2019 UCSC report was published in August 2020 (PDF, 74 pages). Future monitoring efforts will be determined by available funding.
Conservation and Management in Canada
Commercial Fishing
Commercial harvest of pinto abalone has been prohibited in Canada since 1990.
Sport Fishing
Recreational harvest of pinto abalone has been prohibited in Canada since 1990.
SARA Listing and Recovery Plan
Pinto abalone are currently listed as endangered (i.e., facing imminent extirpation or extinction) in British Columbia under Canada's Species at Risk Act (SARA) due to continued low population numbers and declines. SARA prohibits killing, harming, harassing, possessing, and buying or selling an individual or its parts (including the shell); these prohibitions apply to both farm-raised and wild pinto abalone.
Harvest has been prohibited since 1990, but illegal harvest continues to pose a major threat to pinto abalone in British Columbia. To address this threat, protocols have been established to track abalone sold on the market to deter the sale of wild abalone as cultured abalone. In addition, enforcement patrols, prosecution of illegal harvest cases, and stewardship programs, such as the CoastWatch program, aim to reduce illegal harvest.
In 2007, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) finalized a Recovery Strategy for pinto abalone in Canada that identifies what needs to be done to halt and reverse the species' decline. In 2012, the DFO finalized the Action Plan to guide implementation of the Recovery Strategy.
The Recovery Strategy and Action Plan set specific population and distribution objectives as well as short-term (10-year) and long-term (30-year) recovery targets for pinto abalone. The Action Plan identifies recovery activities to address threats, monitor status, and support rebuilding of pinto abalone populations. It also identifies critical habitat for pinto abalone within four areas in British Columbia.
Many of the protections and conservation efforts identified in the Recovery Strategy and Action Plan have been ongoing for several years. DFO continues to conduct index site surveys every 4-5 years, providing valuable time series and size frequency data to monitor population status. Adult translocations have been conducted at various locations, and preliminary results from one site indicate success in increasing juvenile densities. Outplanting studies have also been conducted at various locations between 2000 and 2010, through partnerships between DFO, First Nations, and other coastal communities. Results from Barkley Sound show that outplanted abalone experience high mortality and/or emigration rates but that outplanted individuals made up to 26 percent of the observed abalone at the sites. Education and outreach efforts continue to raise awareness regarding the status of pinto abalone and reduce illegal harvest. Under DFO's Recovery Strategy and Action Plan, these protections and conservation efforts will continue to be implemented, evaluated, improved, and added to as new information becomes available.
Conservation and Management in Washington
Commercial Fishing
There has never been a commercial fishery for pinto abalone in Washington.
Sport Fishing
Recreational harvest of pinto abalone has been prohibited in Washington since 1994.
Hatchery Production, Field Outplanting, and Monitoring
Since the early 2000s, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Puget Sound Restoration Fund (PSRF), University of Washington, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, NOAA Fisheries, and other partners have worked together to advance the recovery of pinto abalone in Washington State, focusing on the area around the San Juan Island Archipelago.
In 2003, a pinto abalone hatchery was established at NOAA Fisheries' Mukilteo lab to develop successful captive propagation and grow-out methods, as well as study the effects of rearing conditions, salinity, temperature, and ocean acidification on abalone survival and behavior. NOAA Fisheries has also supported partners in Washington State in field restoration work, including:
- monitoring of remaining wild abalone populations;
- optimizing captive spawning and rearing methods;
- developing tagging methods for monitoring outplanted abalone; and
- developing effective outplanting methods.
The information generated from this work will be valuable not only for pinto abalone, but for the restoration of abalone species throughout the coast.
Conservation and Management in Oregon
In Oregon, harvest of pinto abalone is not prohibited, but is likely not occurring given how rare pinto abalone are off Oregon and regulations that protect pinto abalone from harvest (e.g., minimum legal shell length of eight inches).
Conservation and Management in California
Commercial Fishing
Commercial harvest of pinto abalone has been prohibited in California since 1997.
Sport Fishing
Recreational harvest of pinto abalone has been prohibited in California since 1997.
Abalone Recovery and Management Plan
In 2005, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) finalized the Abalone Recovery and Management Plan (ARMP). The ARMP includes all of California's abalone species, providing a cohesive framework for the recovery of depleted abalone populations in southern California and for the management of the northern California fishery and future abalone fisheries.
Pinto abalone have been documented during surveys for other abalone species since the early 2000s. In 2014 through 2016, directed surveys for pinto abalone were conducted to assess populations off San Diego, California, providing critical baseline information on demographics and habitat use.
For more information, see Determining Population Structure, Reproductive Potential, and Habitat Associations of Pinto Abalone in Southern California (2018).
Conservation and Management in Mexico
Harvest of pinto abalone is allowed in Baja California, Mexico. Data on harvest levels and the impacts on pinto abalone are not available for Mexico, but are believed to be low.
Key Actions and Documents
2019 – Pinto abalone surveys conducted in Southeast Alaska (PDF, 74 pages)
2016 – Pinto abalone surveys conducted in Southeast Alaska (PDF, 96 pages).
2014 – NOAA Fisheries published a 12-Month Finding on two petitions to list pinto abalone under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and to announce the availability of a status review report (79 FR 77998). Based on the best scientific and commercial information available, NOAA Fisheries determined that listing the pinto abalone as threatened or endangered under the ESA was not warranted.
- 2014 Status Review Report for Pinto Abalone
- Reference List for 12-Month Finding (PDF, 12 pages)
- Poster Summary of the Status Review and Listing Decision (PDF, 1 page) - 2015 Alaska Marine Science Symposium
2013 – NOAA Fisheries announced 90-day findings on two petitions received to list the pinto abalone as a threatened or endangered species under the ESA and to designate critical habitat concurrently with the listing (78 FR 69033). The petitioners identified a number of potential threats to the species, including overfishing, poaching, sea otter predation, and environmental change. NOAA Fisheries found that the petitions and other information presented substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted.
- Center for Biological Diversity Petition (PDF, 54 pages)
- Natural Resources Defense Council Petition (PDF, 41 pages)
2009 – NOAA Fisheries convened a workshop for abalone on the U.S. West Coast (PDF, 25 pages).
Science Overview
British Columbia
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) works with partners to carry out the goals and objectives identified in the 2007 Recovery Strategy and 2012 Action Plan for pinto abalone in Canada. Progress to date is summarized in the 2015 Progress Report on Recovery Strategy Implementation for 2007-2012 and includes:
- continued monitoring of abundance, distribution, size, mortality, and density at index sites in five biogeographical zones;
- research on rebuilding efforts,long-term survival, sources of mortality, and habitat requirements for hatchery-reared abalone;
- enforcement, including First Nations and coastal community involvement in enforcement and convictions for illegal abalone possession and trafficking.
Alaska
No formal long-term monitoring has been conducted in Southeast Alaska. However, since 1990, Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) has recorded qualitative observations of pinto abalone during dive surveys of other species, such as red sea urchins and sea cucumbers.
In recent years, ADFG collaborated with the Sitka Sound Science Center to conduct pinto abalone surveys in Sitka Sound. From 2015-2020, NOAA Fisheries supported pinto abalone monitoring programs conducted by ADFG and the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) in southern Southeast Alaska.
Long term monitoring sites were established and surveys associated with these programs were conducted in 2016 and 2019. Data include estimates of abalone density, population size structure, abundance, and habitat characteristics. The goal of the programs is to establish a survey structure to better gauge abundance of pinto abalone in Alaska and monitor population trends over time.
The ADFG published a final report for the 2016 surveys (PDF, 96 pages), and the final 2019 UCSC report was published in August 2020 (PDF, 74 pages). Future monitoring efforts will be determined by available funding.
Washington
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Puget Sound Restoration Fund (PSRF), University of Washington, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, NOAA Fisheries, and many other partners work together to advance research and recovery of pinto abalone in Washington State.
- Pinto Abalone Recovery - Puget Sound Restoration Fund
- Pinto Abalone Recovery - Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
California
Directed surveys were conducted to assess the demographics and habitat use of pinto abalone off San Diego in 2014 through 2016. This work is part of efforts by NOAA Fisheries and partners to assess the status of abalone populations in southern California.
