Abalone is a shellfish in great demand worldwide as a seafood delicacy.
As a result of regulatory and legislative actions dating back to the 1940s and 1950s, commercial harvesting of abalone north of San Francisco has been banned. The 1996 commercial landings from those waters was less than 160,000 pounds. These reports ranged from petty violations of fish and game regulations to full-scale commercial operations that have pilfered the public's marine assets. SCAN's initial focus, out of necessity, has been on petty violators. New recreational harvesters often learn how to harvest abalone from someone more experienced.