The white abalone, Haliotis sorenseni , seems to be on the brink of extinction. Following a 270 metric ton commercial harvest in the 1970s, landings of white abalone virtually ceased. No fishery-independent population assessment was made until 1992 to 1993, and the fishery remained open until 1996. The management scheme, based on a minimum harvest size of 153 mm and a closed season during spawning, apparently failed to protect adequate spawning stock density. The population has not recovered from the harvest, and the survivors are currently dying of old age.
Spontaneous recovery is highly unlikely, even in the absence of continued harvest.
Active management intervention will be required to prevent extinction and to restore the species to a viable status. We identify a program of capture rearing and refugia-based management, with a public education component and using existing governmental processes, to restore the white abalone population.