Monterey Abalone Co. farms red abalone amidst extended harvesting ban

KAZU | By Katie Brown

Published January 9, 2026 at 4:25 PM PST

A man in a blue vest and yellow longsleeve shirt smiles with his eyes closed next to empty abalone shells — Art Seavey stands inside the Monterey Abalone Company storefront on the Monterey Municipal Wharf. Seavey has co-owned the company since 1994.

In today's newscast, the co-owner of Monterey Bay's only abalone farm and a research ecologist with the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary weigh in on a unanimous decision by the California Fish and Game Commission to extend a ban on red abalone harvesting until April 2036.

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Katie Brown

Katie Brown comes to KAZU after earning spot news and investigative journalism awards for her reporting and photography in Maine. A Report for America alumna and former Metcalf Institute fellow, Katie’s reporting beats span business, environment, and public health.

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