Of the eight species of abalone found in the
Pacific waters along the coast of North American only the northern
abalone lives in B.C waters. Northern abalone, also known as pinto
abalone, has been an important food source for First Nation peoples for
untold generations. They are also considered a delicacy in many
countries worldwide.
A commercial abalone fishery has existed along the
coast of B.C. since the early 1900s. Sharp population declines in the
1970s and 1980s resulted in the closure of the abalone commercial
fishery in 1990. Continued declines lead to the northern abalone being
designated as threatened by the Committee on the Status of Endangered
Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC)
in 1999. Locally, the Haida
Gwaii
Abalone Stewards are working towards
rebuilding abalone populations to levels that will support sustainable
food fisheries in the waters surrounding Haida Gwaii.
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