You cannot legally catch abalone anywhere in California right now. The recreational red abalone fishery has been closed since 2018, and the California Fish and Game Commission extended that closure through at least April 1, 2036. Before the closure, the North Coast from Sonoma to Mendocino County offered some of the best abalone diving on the planet. Understanding why the fishery closed, what it takes to reopen, and what your options are in the meantime will save you from a costly mistake.
Why the Fishery Is Closed
A cascade of ecological disasters wiped out California’s abalone population in just a few years. In 2013, sea star wasting disease killed massive numbers of sunflower sea stars, which are a key predator of purple sea urchins. Without that predator keeping them in check, purple sea urchin populations exploded 60-fold between 2014 and 2015. A marine heatwave and El Niño event from 2014 to 2017 compounded the damage by warming nearshore waters.
The urchins devoured the bull kelp forests that abalone depend on for food. More than 90 percent of bull kelp along 217 miles of northern California coastline was lost, and with it, 96 percent of the red abalone population. By 2017, mass abalone die-offs forced the state to shut down what had been a $44 million recreational fishery. The commercial red sea urchin fishery collapsed at the same time.
When It Could Reopen
The closure runs through the 2035 season, but the Commission has stated it could reopen earlier if population data supports it. A formal review is planned after five years. The benchmarks are specific: California’s Abalone Recovery and Management Plan sets a minimum viable population density of 2,000 abalone per hectare, while a fishable surplus requires 6,600 abalone per hectare. The fishery can only reopen once populations hit that higher threshold, which acts as a buffer to prevent another collapse immediately after reopening.
If the Commission had not extended the closure, the moratorium would have automatically expired on April 1, 2026, reopening the fishery under old regulations despite populations nowhere near recovery. The extension was a deliberate move to prevent that scenario.
Historic Abalone Diving Spots
Before the closure, nearly all recreational abalone diving happened along the Sonoma and Mendocino coasts, north of San Francisco. These locations are worth knowing if the fishery eventually reopens.
Van Damme State Park near Mendocino was the single most popular spot, and for good reason. The access is flat with parking within 100 yards of the water, and the cove is sheltered enough that divers could get in when everywhere else on the coast was blown out. A skilled freediver could fill a daily limit without swimming far from shore. Russian Gulch, also near Mendocino, offered a calmer alternative.
On the Sonoma coast, the stretch north of Jenner drew the heaviest traffic. Stillwater Cove was the easiest entry point, with good protection from swell and enough room to launch a kayak for access to deeper reefs. Red Barn South (nicknamed Cardiac Hill) and Red Barn North (Pedotti Reef) were popular for shore picking, where divers could find abalone in shallow water near the rocks. Fort Ross offered two coves, with the north cove especially favored for its protection from northwest swell, though the hike in was longer.
Penalties for Poaching
Taking abalone during the closure is a serious criminal offense, not a minor infraction. Illegally taking, possessing, or selling wildlife for personal gain is a misdemeanor punishable by fines ranging from $5,000 to $40,000, up to a year in county jail, or both. A second offense bumps the minimum fine to $10,000 and the maximum to $50,000.
Abalone poaching specifically carries even steeper consequences. Illegal sale or purchase of abalone carries fines between $15,000 and $40,000, with probation lasting up to three years. Wardens actively patrol the North Coast, and abalone cases regularly make local news.
How to Get Abalone Legally
The only legal way to eat California abalone right now is to buy it from a farm. The Cultured Abalone Farm in Santa Barbara has been raising red abalone since 1989. They sell live, whole abalone primarily to coastal California restaurants and open their retail store to the public on Saturdays. A handful of other aquaculture operations along the coast also supply restaurants and markets.
Farm-raised abalone is expensive, typically running $80 to $100 per pound or more, reflecting how slowly the animals grow. But it’s genuinely good, and it’s the only option that won’t land you in court.
What Recreational Harvest Looked Like
When the fishery was open, divers used a specialized flat bar called an abalone iron to pry the animals off rocks. Regulations required the iron to be less than 36 inches long with rounded edges and no sharp points. Knives and screwdrivers were prohibited because they can damage the abalone’s foot, killing it even if it’s returned to the water. Every diver also had to carry a fixed-caliper measuring gauge capable of measuring seven inches, the minimum legal shell size for red abalone.
California is home to several abalone species, each with distinct shells. Red abalone have a dull brick-red exterior with 3 to 4 oval holes and a lumpy, undulating texture. Black abalone are smooth and dark blue to black with 5 to 9 small, flush holes. Green abalone have an olive-green shell with coarse spiral ribbing, and flat abalone show brick red mottled with white, blue, and green. Only red abalone were legal for recreational harvest, so identification mattered. All species remain fully protected during the current closure.
What Recovery Depends On
Abalone recovery hinges on the return of bull kelp forests, which depends on reducing purple sea urchin densities. Some areas of the North Coast have seen modest kelp regrowth in cooler water years, but urchin barrens still dominate large stretches of reef. Restoration efforts include commercial harvesting of purple urchins and experimental kelp reseeding, but the scale of the problem is enormous. The 60-fold urchin explosion created vast underwater deserts where thick kelp canopy once stood.
Even under optimistic scenarios, rebuilding abalone populations to the 6,600-per-hectare fishery threshold will take years. Abalone grow slowly, taking roughly seven years to reach legal harvest size, and they reproduce more successfully at higher densities because they’re broadcast spawners that release eggs and sperm into open water. When individuals are too spread out, fertilization rates drop. This means the early stages of recovery are the slowest, with progress accelerating only as clusters of abalone rebuild in localized areas.