Abalone are farmed in intensive land-based tank systems in South Africa, Australia, and China, with welfare challenges around crowding, disease, and slaughter practices.
Abalone occupy an interesting middle ground in welfare discussions as they have demonstrably more centralised nervous systems than oysters or mussels, with neurophysiological evidence of nociception. Disease outbreaks in crowded land-based systems cause prolonged emaciation and suffering before mortality. Agonistic interactions in crowded tanks cause shell damage and soft tissue injury. As research into mollusc sentience advances, the welfare case for improved standards in abalone farming strengthens alongside other higher-complexity molluscs.