Abalone farming is growing as wild stocks collapse — welfare considerations for this mollusk are emerging.
Abalone welfare sits at the frontier of our understanding of invertebrate sentience. As a mollusk, abalone has a simpler nervous system than crustaceans — but this does not entirely exclude the possibility of some form of subjective experience. Farming conditions involve high stocking densities and environmental controls that may compromise welfare if abalone have relevant experiences. The value of the product and the conservation benefits of reducing wild harvest pressure create a complicated context for welfare evaluation. Taking a precautionary approach while investing in sentience research is appropriate.