Abalone aquaculture is a growing industry in Australia, South Africa, and Asia, with welfare questions arising from density, handling, and slaughter of these valuable marine mollusks.
Abalone welfare occupies uncertain ethical territory given limited knowledge of their capacity for suffering. Their simple nervous systems suggest lower sentience than vertebrates, but sensory responsiveness to noxious stimuli warrants some consideration. Key welfare concerns in aquaculture include crowding that prevents normal movement, handling stress during grading, and slaughter methods. As a luxury product, the economic margin exists to invest in improved welfare practices even under uncertainty.