CDFG News Release - California Outdoors Q & A: Abalone rebellion or diver blunde

California Department of Fish and Game News Release

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE :  September 9, 2010

Contact: Carrie Wilson, Communications Office, [email protected]

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California Outdoors Q & A:  Abalone rebellion or diver blunder?

Question: One of my dive buddies asked me what to do when plucking an abalone and the abalone shell comes off the ab and the meat remains on the rock. Should the person then pry the meat off the rock, lay it in the shell and take it all like this? It would be a legal (seven inches or bigger) abalone. Is this illegal? I know it is the sporting thing to do and the right thing to do, but the DFG regs say that if you have an abalone removed from the shell, you are in violation! What is the right thing to do in this scenario? (Matt M.)

Answer: Although the spirit of the law may make you want to pry the meat off and place it in the shell, the law prohibits possession of an abalone removed from the shell, and your friend should not possess this abalone. According to DFG Lt. Dennis McKiver, in his experience he's only known this to happen on rare occasions and only when the abalone iron is not being used properly. McKiver advises that if this happens to you, or if your abalone are being otherwise injured when removed, then you should have someone show you how to properly remove an abalone without injury. This would be the right and sporting thing to do.


I do not know if it is just me but this seams to be more miss management and crappy letter of the law enforcement, at some point when is logic and common sense going to come in.

I would also recommend that if someone kills an ab that is undersized or otherwise illegal to take, they should fill out a tag on their card.

With all due respect, DFG Lt. Dennis McKiver doesn't know what he's talking about, and Carrie ("you should have someone show you how to properly remove an abalone without injury. This would be the right and sporting thing to do.") is way off base.  If there's a "right way" to pry a strong animal away from a unique position up under a rock - a way that guarantees the shell will never come off or that the flesh never gets cut - then I guess the DFG'd better start teaching classes in it.  Sometimes the shell comes off - it's known to happen even to very experienced abalone divers and rockpickers.  When it happens to me I stop short of detaching all of the flesh and entrails from the shell - as long as it's still attached you should be legal.  And if it becomes completely detached, I'll risk a ticket rather than waste the ab.  Of course, you could always just consume it immediately...

Thanks for the response erick you and I seam to be on the same page ! that was kinda of my thoughts when I saw there response !

I'm with the DFG on this one.

While I may not agree with some regulations, I see the reason why they are written so explicitly.  Having "gray areas" or outlets for sportsmanship provide a litany of loopholes.


From a sportsman standpoint, it may not seem right to leave a dead abalone there... but think of it like a deep-hooked illegal fish.  You have to let it go, even if it's almost sure to die.  I'm sure all of us can understand why allowing exceptions for sportsmanship would make consistent enforcement a tremendous challenge.