Abalone - Manual for intensive hatchery production of abalone


Cover of the Manual for intensive hatchery production of abalone

This manual is a practical guide to commercial scale seed production of blacklip abalone (Haliotis rubra) in NSW.

The manual provides specialized instruction on:

  • how to collect and reproductively condition blacklip abalone broodstock
  • how to induce them to spawn
  • how to hatchery-rear their young through the larval and early juvenile stages to an age and size suitable for on-farming or for seeding depleted fisheries.

With minor adjustments to methods and equipment, the manual should also serve as a useful production guide for most temperate species of abalone.

There is an emphasis on year-round production of spat as opposed to the seasonal production practised to date by commercial abalone farms in Australia.

In view of the scarcity and high cost of coastal sites with access to marine waters in NSW, the techniques described are geared to efficient and intensive production of abalone spat using small areas of land.

The manual is available for download below in full or in sections.