Commission closes abalone diving for the season amid a declining population

[JamesBon92007]

I made CDF&W aware of one Catalina site where I stopped counting at 125 greens and pinks. I found them in a spot few divers would think of diving. We were seeing them recover in several areas around the island but the warm water and decline of giant kelp appears to have caused a decline lately.

Interesting that @JamesBon92007 saw lots of blacks. I haven't seen one in a decade or more.

That was a couple of decades ago

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Perhaps this is where the confusion lies. Withing Foot Syndrome in black abalone was traced to shell debris exiting the outflow of The Abalone Farm at Cayucos, California. A similar problem occurred in Australia.
Abalone farm discharges the withering syndrome pathogen into the wild

 

[waytoodeep]

I made CDF&W aware of one Catalina site where I stopped counting at 125 greens and pinks.

They'll close the area to all boating/fishing/diving even in earth shoes just like the condor reserve...

 

[drbill]

They'll close the area to all boating/fishing/diving even in earth shoes just like the condor reserve...

I reported it about 10 years ago... It is still open.