MENDOCINO CO., 12/22/25 – Red abalone fishing will remain off-limits for recreational fishers for another decade after the California Fish and Game Commission voted this week to extend the recreational red abalone fishery closure through April 1, 2036.
On Thursday, the commission voted to keep the fishery closed to further protect the species and support population recovery.
According to the commission, red abalone populations have declined by about 85% since 2014, when North Coast kelp forests collapsed after a marine heat wave struck ocean waters. Purple sea urchins have overwhelmed kelp forests, preventing kelp from recovering. Kelp is the primary food source for red abalone.
Locally, groups like the Caspar Cove Project gather regularly to collect sea urchins, removing them from kelp forests.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will continue supporting red abalone restoration projects, the commission said. More information about those efforts is available at wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Invertebrates/Abalone#321561190-abalone-management.
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Question did the moratorium on harvesting the sea urchins for sushi places have anything to do with the disappearance of the kelp leading to the problems with the abalone