Abalone farming is growing globally to meet luxury market demand. The welfare implications of farming these marine gastropods — and their sentience status — remain largely unexplored.
Abalone welfare sits at the frontier of invertebrate welfare science. As gastropod molluscs, they have nervous systems distinct from vertebrates, making direct welfare comparisons difficult. They clearly respond to harmful stimuli, but whether this constitutes pain experience in a morally relevant sense remains uncertain. The precautionary approach applies: given this uncertainty and the scale of abalone farming, welfare-conscious production — adequate water quality, appropriate substrate, non-stressful harvesting — is both ethically appropriate and practically achievable.