Status of the ormer (Haliotis tuberculata L.) industry in Europe

摘要

The ormer (Haliotis tuberculata) occurs from the Senegal coast in the south to the Cotentin peninsula of France in the north. Commercial fisheries currently operate in France and Spain. The French abalone fishery was opened in 1994. Abalone catches are regulated by a permit and quota system. Total Allowable Catch (TAC) was determined by two initial stock assessments carried out locally in the vicinity of St Malo, Central-North Brittany, and Morlaix, North-West Brittany, in the 1980s. Quotas have since been revised, according to decisions of local fishing committees, without information on the stock situation or independent assessments since the opening of the fishery. In 1996 to 1997, a severe bacterial disease devastated the stock of the main fishing grounds in St Malo and many other places around Brittany. Mass mortalities were correlated with high sea surface temperatures. The stocks have only partially recovered since then, and the total catch has been significantly reduced from about 80 tons to 60 tons per year, resulting in catches significantly lower than the TAC currently implemented. There are no reliable catch per unit effort data available. The absence of a strong enforcement policy, evidence of poaching, and strong activity of the local black market constitute a situation where there is a significant threat to the stocks and sustainability of the fishery. In Spain, the fishery was reopened in 2002, after 10 y of inactivity related to PSP toxins found during imports into the Japanese market. It was closed again, soon after reopening in 2002, because of a major oil spill on the Northern coasts. An abalone aquaculture industry is developing around Europe, mainly in Ireland where H. discus hannai and H. tuberculata have been imported and acclimatized. There are prospective aquaculture developments in France, England, Spain, and Scotland.