Inside Abagold: Abalone farms that sends tonnes of ‘white gold’ to China every year

• The abalone trade which began in 1984 in South Africa has come a good distance. 
• Abagold is one of the biggest abalone farms in Africa, it contains 4 aquaculture farms unfold over 10 hectares and residential to some 10 million abalone. 
• At any given time it has 630 tonnes of abalone in tanks of varied sizes busy going by means of the pipeline. It takes 5 years for the abalone to succeed in maturity.
• On Saturday, the corporate was recognised for its sustainable farming practices with a serious award given by Pal of the Sea, an impartial NGO. Their extremely wanted environmental certification might be discovered on some 1,500 merchandise in additional than 80 international locations.
• For extra tales go to www.BusinessInsider.co.za.  

It began in 1984, when a veterinarian, spurred on to discover a sustainable method of making certain abalone, a mollusc generally generally known as perlemoen discovered within the swaying kelp forests off the West Coast of Africa, would not go extinct. 

“Dr Pierre Hugo put his life into attempting to determine the right way to spawn abalone, as a result of as soon as you may spawn them, we figured we should always be capable of develop them and he was ready to do this. That recipe is what has been shared and it is why we now have 13 totally different abalone farms in South Africa.”

These are the phrases of Tim Hedges, director of Abagold, which has been a part of the abalone story for over 25 years. Their enterprise which was began on the shores of Hermanus cultivates the world’s most fascinating seafood, extremely wanted on dinner plates in Hong Kong, a part of a large aquaculture enterprise that in 2018, reached 46,400 tonnes per yr.

Now one of many largest Abalone farms in Africa it contains 4 aquaculture farms unfold over 13 hectares and is house to some 10 million abalone. The corporate employs 381 individuals, and in 2021 noticed greater than 500 tonnes of manufacturing of which 95% is bought abroad. . 

“At any given time we’ve got acquired 630 tonnes in tanks of varied sizes busy going by means of the pipeline. It takes 5 years for the abalone to succeed in maturity. Those who farm abalone are very, very affected person. As a result of what you set in firstly is what you get 5 years later. As soon as the pipeline is crammed it makes this a better course of,” says Hedges.   

South Africa’s extremely wanted abalone species, Haliotis Midae, can fetch a excessive worth in Hong Kong, the place the vast majority of abalone finally ends up. Right here abalone is taken into account to be a ‘white gold’ eaten anyplace from high-end eating places to being given as presents throughout Chinese language New Yr, or through the Dragon Boat Competition, and given as a logo of wealth. 

“It’s a well-known present to present your potential mother-in-law, as a present on Mom’s Day, to point out respect. So it is positively not an aphrodisiac, nobody needs to present their mother-in-law that form of a gift,” says Werner Piek, Head of Advertising Abagold.  

Hatcheries have turn out to be a vital different for the preservation of this fascinating mollusk which was as soon as so plentiful within the kelp forests of South Africa. 

(Left) Paolo Bray, Founder and Director of Pal of the Sea and (proper) Tim Hedges, director of Abagold. Picture by Jay Caboz.

For the group at Abagold, this final Saturday was extra particular than most. The corporate was recognised for its sustainable farming practices which use natural farming strategies in addition to solar energy, even harvesting and rising their very own seaweed. 

Given by an NGO known as Pal of the Sea, a undertaking of the World Sustainability Organisation that independently certifies environmental sustainable manufacturing for companies from eating places to fisheries, aquaculture, fish meal, sustainable transport, whale and dolphin-watching, aquaria, decorative fish, UV lotions, meals, and extra. 

Abagold’s relationship with the certification goes again to 2015 when it was one of many first abalone corporations to be awarded the independently verified Pal of the Sea Sustainability Certification. It acquired the Pal of the Sea’s 2022 Sustainability Award, given annually to only one firm for its engagement in sustainable manufacturing.

The previous 30 years have seen hovering demand from East Asia fueling huge demand for poaching of South African abalone. And, within the wake of mentioned poaching, abalone farming has turn out to be a vital different for its preservation says Paolo Bray, Founder and Director of Pal of the Sea, who was in Hermanus to present the award.  

“Farming abalone can lower the fishing stress and assist restoration. Abalone have been recognized as one of many many lessons of organism threatened with extinction because of overfishing, acidification of oceans.”

It meets a collection of certification requirements that minimise the dangerous results of aquaculture operations together with: decreasing its impression on surrounding habitats; utilizing natural farming strategies; decreasing its carbon footprint, and complying with social accountability amongst others.

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It hasn’t at all times been easy crusing for Abagold. In 2017, a devastating pink tide resulted in shedding 36% of their farming inventory. It took two entire years to get again to manufacturing. 

“To come back out of that tough time and to have the ability to get to a degree the place I can proceed to develop sustainability to have the ability to proceed doing issues for the long run. We’re continually taking a look at new know-how. What we realised was sustainability defines how we’re going to survive. How can we be sure that we’re as environment friendly as doable,” says Hedges. 

This is what the farm appears like: 

Picture by Jay Caboz.

When Hermanus was based 150 years in the past, abalone was plentiful on the shoreline. Fishing was the primary financial base of the city. Through the years this aggressively harvested species disappeared and males turned their consideration to the shellfish, abalone.

All of it begins with the ocean. 

Picture by Jay Caboz.

The pristine cool waters of the Atlantic Ocean present the mandatory vitamins and the  setting for the manufacturing of abalone. Earlier than the seawater even will get to the hundreds of tanks on their farms it must be filtered. Massive items of kelp and different junk-like fishing nets is first filtered utilizing these massive cages. 

Picture by Jay Caboz.

The kelp is harvested to be used on the farm, whereas the garbage is recycled. 

The water is then pumped by means of these huge pipes. Abagold pumps on common 12 million litres of seawater to fill their tanks each hour.

Picture by Jay Caboz.

This equates to transporting sea water with 13,000 absolutely loaded one tonne bakkies each hour.

Picture by Jay Caboz.

The ocean water is filtered additional earlier than being despatched to a stress tower after which right into a secondary sump. It is now clear and prepared to enter the farm. 

The hatchery produces 1 million spat (child abalone).

Picture by Jay Caboz.

Within the larval rearing space, fertilised eggs are hatched and nursed for the primary week earlier than they’re transferred to the hatchery. Right here settled animals spend the primary few months feeding on diatoms and are fed macro-algea. They’re so small you can not see them with the bare eye.

It may possibly take six months to develop from microscopic eggs to 10-millimetre spats.

Picture by Jay Caboz.

Picture by Jay Caboz.

Abagold each produces for its personal farms in addition to sells to others. 

Picture by Jay Caboz.

Abagold has 4 farms in Hermanus: Sea View, Amaza (waves), Bergsig (mountain view), and Sulamanzi (clear water).

Abagold farms. Supply Google Maps.

Prime animals from the hatchery are positioned on Sea View the place they’re raised. As soon as the animals are of an appropriate age and dimension, they’re moved out to Amaza the place the intermediate sized animals are housed. Lastly, the animals are settled on Bergsig to finish their progress section. The entire course of takes years. 

Mixed, the three farms home 4,000 land-based tanks.

Picture by Jay Caboz.

Abba Gold has its personal canning and meals processing facility. 

Picture by Jay Caboz.

It exports dwell, dried, and canned abalone. 

South Africa’s extremely wanted abalone species, Haliotis Midae, is revered, fetching a excessive worth in Hong Kong and China. 

Picture by Jay Caboz.

South Africa has been within the abalone enterprise for 50 years, however we’ve got solely been farming abalone for the final 15 to twenty years. South Africa is likely one of the three of the biggest abalone producers globally. With over 100 species, of which 15 are industrial, abalone has totally different traits. 

With a lot abalone, the corporate wants a variety of meals.

Seaweed Ulva. Picture by Jay Caboz.

Together with harvesting seaweed from their filtration methods, in addition they develop their very own. Abagold grows 12 tons of ulva a month in six large ponds. Additionally they use kelp and small portions of gracilaria. 

Picture by Jay Caboz.

Abagold additionally developed its personal feed manufacturing plant the place it produces 100 tonnes of synthetic feed monthly for its farms and different aquaculture species. 

Worth to South African Economic system. 

Picture by Jay Caboz.

Based on a Western Cape report, in 2016, international abalone manufacturing was 150,000 tonnes. In that very same yr, South Africa producing 1,660 tonnes, that is 2.8% of world provide. Against this, illegally harvested abalone in South Africa was reported to be a mean of two,174 tonnes per yr between 2000 and 2016 (with an annual common worth of R628 million).

How is Abalone eaten? 

Picture by Jay Caboz.

Abalone makes for a delicious ceviche or may even be eaten straight out of the can. 

Picture by Jay Caboz.

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