Abalone Report Card Data and Information

A report card for the California recreational red abalone fishery was established in 2000, requiring pickers to record catch and effort, including date and location of catches. Beginning with the 2002 abalone season, CDFW biologists determined that a combination of returned cards and a random telephone survey would be the best way to estimate catch and effort, given that only a portion of the cards purchased are returned to the CDFW. A report describing the method for estimating catch and effort was published in the CDFW's peer-reviewed journal, California Fish and Game, and is included below. Catch estimates for abalone report card sites from 2002-2009 and a graph showing estimated catch for the top five sites are also included.