Abalone farming occurs in many countries throughout the world, with the largest production being in China, South Korea, South Africa, Chile, and Australia. There is no single, universally acceptable, method to culture abalone, the method of choice depending on factors such as local sea conditions, availability of land or in-sea lease areas, labor and energy costs, and local environmental regulations. The farming process occurs in several distinct phases including broodstock collection and conditioning; induction of synchronous spawning; fertilization; larval culture and settlement; postlarval growth to the juvenile stage; and growth to market size. These phases are described with reference to the various ways in which they operate for different species, and in different countries. The advantages and disadvantages of the various methods are discussed. The future viability of abalone farms will depend, to a large extent, on the relative costs of production in each country.
Over the past 40 years, knowledge of infectious diseases in abalone has gone from nearly absent to prolific, largely as products of investigations of mass mortality events in both wild and cultured populations. Viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and metazoan pathogens and pests have all been shown to be important influencers of abalone health. The most significant viral pathogens are herpesviruses, an unusual “shriveling syndrome” virus, and a poorly described amyotrophia virus. Among bacteria, Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis (the agent of withering syndrome) and various species of Vibrio have caused the most harm. Protozoa of significance include Perkinsus olseni and two haplosporidians. Metazoan pests that harm abalone include the boring sponge Cliona, polydorid polychaetes, sabellid polychaetes, and a range of fungi that invade the shell or soft tissues. This chapter provides an overview of current knowledge on these and lesser-known causes and potential causes of disease.
With many of the world's abalone fisheries fully exploited or overexploited, together with loss of suitable abalone habitat in many countries, aquaculture-based enhancement is becoming more common. Juveniles, or larvae, produced in hatcheries, are used to restore or enhance depleted populations. Past experience, however, has suggested that relatively few enhancement programs have produced significant increases in yield or economic benefits. Many countries have initiated abalone enhancement attempts, some with more success than others. This chapter details enhancement operations in Japan, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Mexico, and outlines the different protocols that have been used. Genetic considerations and economic viability are also considered.
