A World First – Ocean Ranching

Ocean Grown Abalone is the world’s first commercial abalone ranch. Juvenile Greenlip Abalone are reared on artificial reefs, known as ABITATs.

The ABITATs are lowered into the pristine ocean of Flinders Bay in the South West region of Western Australia, where the ranches are self-sustaining and the abalone nurture and feed from the ocean until they are ready for harvest.  This environment results in abalone almost identical to their wild-caught counterparts.

OGA’s ocean ranches are built in areas that have suitable climate and ecosystems for abalone but lack an appropriate reef structure.  ABITATs are positioned underwater by divers and then left for 6-8 weeks to condition. Once algae have colonised on the surfaces, the ABITATs are seeded with hatchery-reared juvenile Greenlip Abalone from partner company 888 Hatchery. The Greenlip Abalone are then left in nature to grow for two to three years, before they reach a marketable size.

In the 2020/2021 financial year, OGA achieved a record harvest of 75.9 tonnes, which was sold to European, Asian, and Australian markets.