Yes, it's time again for the

* BCD Abalone Cookoff! *

Polly pleasantly pounds purposefully

May 25 - 28 Stillwater Cove, Sonoma

2005 winner Josh

Try and Dethrone Carol !

nyah-nyah , bring it on!

Last Year's Winning Ab Recipe by Carol Reed

Lemon Parmesan Abalone
1 abalone - pounded and diced
2 1/2 c heavy  cream
1/2 tsp salt
Juice of 5 lemons
1 c grated parmesan
1/2 c butter, cut into pieces plus what you cook the ab in.
Saute ab and set aside when done.
Combine the cream,lemon juice and 1/2 tsp salt in large sauce pan
over medium heat.
Bring to boil.
Add parmesan and butter to cream mixture
Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens, about 5 - 10 min.
Serve over pasta, rice or zucchini

By the way - be careful out there

clock May 3, 2007 6:45 pm US/Pacific
California Divers Brave Death For Taste Of Abalone

(AP) FORT ROSS As abalone diver Joe Vojvoda was about to put on his wetsuit hood and gloves on a rocky beach, he mused about the shellfish delicacy that lures many to the frigid waters. "To die for, just to die for," Vojvoda said.

Abalone diver death on opening day (2001)
This novice diver was poorly equipped: he wore only a shorty wetsuit in the 48 degree.
Hypothermia and subsequent mental impairment probably contributed to his demise.
Fort Ross, Sonoma County, CA

The quest for the mighty mollusk is indeed deadly. Four people perished in the past month in California while pursuing abalone, which is used in sushi and a variety of other Asian dishes and can sell for $100 apiece on the black market.

Abalone hunters rappel down cliffs, clamber over treacherously slick rocks and disappear into dark, choppy waters to pry mollusks from the ocean floor.

"That's part of the fun, right? You get a little adrenaline going," said one enthusiast, Ken Norton. "People get hurt, of course. People fall off rocks." But he added: "There's a little bit of danger in anything -- driving around in your car."

All four deaths in California this year happened over a five-day span in Mendocino County, which usually records three or four abalone-related deaths during the entire April-through-November season.

"After you dive down there and freeze your fanny off," said Harry Morse, a spokesman for the state Fish and Game Department, "you deserve a delicacy."

Time for Diver Ed? (I don't know what year this article came out - I found it on the web)

The number of abalone diving accidents makes some wonder if diver education should not be required. It was the number of hunting fatalities prior to 1955 that led to a mandatory hunter education program.

In 1954 31 hunters shot each other dead, and 101 were wounded; in 1994, none were killed and 14 were wounded. According to Jack Edwards, Deputy Chief of Fish & Game, the education program, which is run by volunteers, made a "dramatic difference."

But it wasn't just humans who suffered. Farmers lost cows, and even logs were mistaken for the broad side of a buck.

"Whah there's whole herd of them there log varmints... mmm ... mmm won't they taste good all roasted on a fire" - Billy Bob

Borgeson says he's tried to convince Fish & Game and State Parks that "a 'hunters safety course' for abalone divers might save lives and even generate some revenue for the department." But so far he hasn't succeeded.

For one thing, there is difference between hunter safety and diver safety. Hunters kill other hunters, whereas divers kill only themselves.

On opening day in Sonoma County 17 rescues were required. Sonoma County has a lifeguard program that often saves lives. In Mendocino County there is no such program. Rescues are more often body recoveries.

Mexico Passes Shark Finning Ban and New Protections for Great White, Whale and Basking Sharks, Manta Rays

In a surprising move, the Mexican government has recently published sweeping new regulations and protections for sharks, including a shark finning ban, an extension of the moratorium on new commercial shark fishing permits, and extensive protections for great white sharks, whale sharks, basking sharks and manta rays.

In the past few years, Mexico has been recognized as one of the few places on the planet where large congregations of great white sharks appear each year at Isla Guadalupe.

Isla Guadalupe, off Baja to the west

Along with whale shark aggregations in Holbox, destination tourism with these shark species and others is growing.

Whale Shark, Holbox is to the north of Cancun

The new rules and regulations came after 10 years of debate and the broad support of researchers, scientists, conservations groups, eco-tour operations and local citizens.
— from Sharkdiver.com

California Department of Fish and Game -

Marine Life Protection Act Initiative:

Link to Central Coast Marine Protected Areas passed on April 13th