Why Is Abalone So Expensive? | Talking Point | Full Episode

Abalone: Why Is It So Expensive?

Key Concepts:

• Abalone: A sea snail, specifically the muscular foot and fringe are consumed.
• Wild vs. Farmed Abalone: Wild are harvested by divers, farmed are grown in controlled environments.
• Abalone Quota: Government-imposed limit on wild abalone harvest.
• Green Lip Abalone: A specific type of abalone with higher gluten and sugar content, preferred for drying.
• Marine Heatwaves: Elevated water temperatures that stress abalone.
• Dried Abalone: Abalone that has been carefully cleaned, cooked, and dried for an extended period of time.

Abalone Varieties and Pricing

• Abalone as a Sea Snail: Abalone is a sea snail that can live 30-40 years, harvested at 13-15 cm shell length. The muscular foot and fringe are the edible parts.
• Singapore Market: Abalone prices in Singapore supermarkets range from $8-$10 for common types to $50-$60 (or even $100) for premium canned varieties.
• Wild vs. Farmed Price Differences: Wild Mexican abalone can cost $160, Australian $50, New Zealand $40, while farmed Australian/South African abalone is around $30, and Chinese farmed is $13-$15.
• Quota Impact: Wild abalone prices are driven by demand and government-imposed quotas, limiting the harvest.

Wild Abalone Harvesting in Tasmania

• Tasmania's Role: Tasmania accounts for over 25% of the world's wild abalone supply.
• Diving Conditions: Divers like Barry Bennett and Bo Leser navigate cold waters (almost June, nearing winter) and rely on local knowledge to find abalone.
• Hookah System: Divers use a hookah system (boat-based compressor) for extended underwater time.
• Harvesting Process: Divers pry abalone off rocks with a flat metal iron, targeting mature specimens (13-15 cm).
• Regulations: Strict government regulations and quotas are in place to prevent overfishing due to slow growth and reproduction rates.
• Profit Distribution: Divers earn a dive fee (e.g., $500), quota owners make 30-40% more, and processors add another 10%. Abalone costing $40-$50 at the source can be 5-10 times more expensive in restaurants.

Abalone Processing and Export

• Processing Facilities: Fresh abalone is sent to facilities like Ashley Adrian's for cleaning, grading, and preparation for export.
• Holding Process: Abalone are held in recirculating saltwater tanks for a minimum of five days to de-stress them.
• Grading and Packing: Abalone are graded by size (small, medium, large) and packed live for export.
• Cost Breakdown: Abalone costs roughly $40-$50 AUD per kilo fresh off the reef, processors charge about $70 AUD per kilo, including shipping, holding costs, power, staff labor, and freight.
• Export Destination: Abalone is often exported to China.

Threats to Wild Abalone

• Poaching: Illegal harvesting is a significant problem, with poachers undercutting legal prices on the black market.
• Ecological Damage: Poachers target juvenile stocks, impacting future supply.
• Sea Urchin Overpopulation: Long-spine sea urchins destroy kelp forests, the abalone's food source.
• Marine Heatwaves: Elevated water temperatures stress abalone, leading to weakness and death.
• Disease: Abalone viral disease outbreaks can decimate populations (over 95% loss in some areas).
• Management Actions: Quotas have been reduced to combat these threats.

Farmed Abalone as a Solution

• Market Share: Farmed abalone accounts for over 95% of the global supply.
• Selective Breeding: Farms like the one visited selectively breed abalone for faster growth (up to 30% faster), shortening the production cycle.
• Hatchery and Nursery: Larvae are spawned in hatcheries, transferred to nursery sheets, and then to grow-out tanks.
• Harvesting: Farmed abalone can be harvested in around 3 years, compared to 7-8 years in the wild.
• Sustainability: Farmed abalone is presented as a sustainable alternative to wild-caught, offering a controlled environment and consistent product.
• Taste and Texture: Farmed abalone is described as tender and sweeter, with restaurants preferring its consistent size.
• Climate Change Resilience: Farms are selectively breeding abalone that can tolerate warmer water temperatures.
• Customization: Farms can potentially tailor abalone flavor and texture through selective breeding.

Dried Abalone: An Exclusive Delicacy

• Production: Dried abalone production involves using high-quality live abalone, separating the meat from the shell, washing, brining, cooking, and air-drying for up to 100 days.
• Green Lip Preference: Green lip abalone is preferred due to higher gluten and sugar content, resulting in a sweeter flavor.
• Labor-Intensive Process: The process is labor-intensive, requiring expertise and careful monitoring of temperature and humidity.
• Concentration of Flavor: Drying removes water, concentrating the abalone flavor.
• Shelf Life: Dried abalone can be stored for 10-20 years.
• High Cost: The high cost is attributed to the quality of the fresh abalone used, the labor-intensive process, and the reduction in weight (10 kg fresh yields 1 kg dried).

Abalone Preparation and Cooking

• Chef's Perspective: Chef Aaron prefers farmed abalone for its consistency and cleanliness.
• Cleaning and Slicing: Abalone needs to be cleaned thoroughly, removing the skin and bitter parts. It is then dried and thinly sliced.
• Cooking Methods: Steaming is recommended for both farmed and wild abalone to retain the original juice. Stir-frying is an alternative.
• Steaming Time: Steaming for just 1 minute is ideal to maintain a sweet and tender texture.
• Dried Abalone Preparation: Dried abalone requires soaking in water for 5-6 days to rehydrate, followed by removing the bottom part and tooth.
• Dried Abalone Cooking: Abalone is cooked with meat for 22 hours to absorb the meat flavor.
• Presentation: The chef cuts the abalone into small cubes and serves it with the sauce.

Conclusion

Abalone's high price is due to a combination of factors: the effort involved in harvesting (especially wild abalone), the tradition of processing and preparing it, and the increasing scarcity of wild abalone populations. While farmed abalone offers a more sustainable and affordable alternative, dried abalone remains a highly exclusive and expensive delicacy.