Abalone Report Card Stats

June 16, 2011

Question: Since the introduction of the abalone report card, fishermen must now enter on the card the area where the abalone was taken. At the end of the season, these cards are mailed into the DFG. Can you tell me if there is a report available that would tell me the quantity of abalone that are taken from the different areas that are listed on the report card? (Larry P., Paradise, Calif.)

Answer: Yes, it is available on the Marine Region website at the following link: www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/pdfs/abcatch02-09.pdf

The CA DFW changed the link -
https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=35240&inline=true

So when I did a plot of these data, most years were statistically the same (confidence intervals overlapped), and the only trend was a slight negative one.  By these data, less abalone are being taken in recent years than in the past.

The real question that these data don't address is the population.  Is the density of abalone across their range from Marin to Del Norte increasing or decreasing?  That's the key question.

Okay, so we know the take, but how is the population handling the take?  I'd like CDFW to come up with this answer--considering we pay extra in abalone stamps just for this reason.

Please give us average abalone density per year with confidence intervals.  That's the important statistic.

Great questions. From the CDFW site reports, the population density numbers they use are based on a few index sites, of which are the most pressured areas in the fishery.

Is a more comprehensive fishery-wide survey planned or being done? If not why not?