Tagging Abalone With Rubber Bands

July 26, 2012

Question: After reading a recent answer to a diver who asked how to attach his abalone tag to a rare abalone he’d taken that had no siphon holes where he could affix the tag, I have a question. Some members of my dive club and I assisted DFG with the abalone creel survey last year. We noticed that some of the pickers we surveyed used rubber bands to attach the tags to the abalone. They just laid the tag on the shell and put the rubber band all the way around the abalone to hold the tag on. There were no holes in the tags. Is this a legal way to attach the tag? (Curt H.)

Answer: No, this is not legal. The law requires the tag be “… securely fastened to the shell of the abalone. To affix the tag, a “zip tie,” string, line or other suitable material shall be passed through a siphon hole on the abalone shell and through the tag at the location specified on the abalone tag.” (California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 29.16 (b)(3)).

What was the answer on how to attach it?

Can an abalone actually live without any siphon holes?

Can an abalone actually live without any siphon holes?

Yes.  More likely they'll have at least one funky hole or slit, but I've seen them w/o any.

Can an abalone actually live without any siphon holes?

Yes.  More likely they'll have at least one funky hole or slit, but I've seen them w/o any.

yep one barely opened and I had to use three zip ties to tag it

Wonder if it's legal to puncture a hole in the Ab's foot and tie-wrap the tag through that hole for the ones without holes on the shell?

Must be attached to the shell not foot. Pretty soon we will have to bring drills and drill bits with us.

That happened to me at GS8. I got one ab with no siphon holes......so I gave him one 

It was a first for me and luckily I had a sharp device to make one.

Wonder if it's legal to puncture a hole in the Ab's foot and tie-wrap the tag through that hole for the ones without holes on the shell?

Your answer will come tomorrow. 

Must be attached to the shell not foot. Pretty soon we will have to bring drills and drill bits with us.

Yeah, but you will need to drill it while on the water on your tube or kayak with a diamond core type drill not less than 7/64 nor greater than 9/64, located within 1.375" from the shallow end of the shell, but not puncturing the foot or intestine.