Saving Abalone

At its height, California’s abalone industry brought in millions of pounds of the tasty sea snails. But the heyday didn’t last long. The fleets brought in so many abalone that there weren’t many left. By the late 1970s, the industry had crashed -- and so had the abalone populations.The population that suffered the most was the white abalone. It’s one of a half-dozen species found along the coast of southern California and Baja California.White abalone accounted for only a tiny fraction of the total catch. It was considered a delicacy, though, so demand remained high -- and it’s still high today.Marine biologists estimate that white abalone once numbered in the millions. But a survey a few years ago found the population could have dropped to less than two thousand. What’s worse, the survivors are so thinly spread that it’s almost impossible for them to breed. Without help, the species could become extinct.Several agencies are trying to rescue the white abalone, though. Hunting grounds h