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Abalone

Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Diving
Forum Name: Spearo's Corner
Forum Description: Free-divers & spearos chat about their sport
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=18844
Printed Date: 23 Jun 2026 at 10:22pm


Topic: Abalone
Posted By: Cam.
Subject: Abalone
Date Posted: 11 Feb 2007 at 5:58am
Hi !

Learning a lot about spearfishing in NZ and the species there :)

I understood you got some kind of abalone called paua over there.
Here we have abalonies which are really really delicious to eat, one of the best shell in my opinion. Unfortunately its not legal to catch it while diving.

Is it legal in NZ ? Do u have many species ? How good is it ?


Replies:
Posted By: ThomasW
Date Posted: 11 Feb 2007 at 7:55am
There are three main species in New Zealand. Paua can only be caught by free diving. It is illegal to dive for paua using scuba equipment.

You are allowed to take 10 of the common Paua (Haliotis iris) when they are larger then 125mm and 10 of Yellow foot if they are over 80mm in length. I have never seen any information regarding the third species they are not very common but in theory they would be part of the 50 mixed species bag limit.

Saying that I generally only take 3 or 4 paua every few trips. Like all seafood some people love them others don,t.

Depending on the part of the country they can be very common and easy to harvest or quite rare and a challenge. Generally the further south you go the more common and larger they become.

This link has more info regarding them
http://www.wildblue.co.nz/species/molluscscrustaceans/paua/ - Paua

Posted By: herby
Date Posted: 11 Feb 2007 at 9:01am
3rd species is the virginian paua.
Dont bother getting them, they're small and uncommon. Nice shells though.
 

Posted By: ThomasW
Date Posted: 11 Feb 2007 at 9:15am
I was looking at the wikipedia page on Paua, they called the Yellow-foot 'Silver paua'. I never heard of tht name before, is it commonly used?

Maybe I should edit the wiped page because the name 'yellow-foot' is what mfish uses and is not mentioned anywhere in the article.

Posted By: Spearsniper
Date Posted: 12 Feb 2007 at 12:54pm
Has anyone eaten yellow foot paua?
 
I see quite a few, and leave them as I would need 10 for a meal. Not really keen to take 10 if they taste like poop.

Posted By: Bull
Date Posted: 12 Feb 2007 at 1:22pm
They taste all good. I find about 2 - 3 each person is enough for a meal. They are nice whole. A bit more tender and flavour is a bit more subtle than black foot.

Posted By: Cam.
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2007 at 7:03am
I usually cook it in a frying pan with chopped parsley and garlic and potatoes. What about you ?

Posted By: TheSnapperWhisperer
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2007 at 10:39am

ht hot hot frying pan, add NZ butter and some garlic and a little olive oil, cook whole paua one minute each side. Serve like a steak. Yum



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