The following post [edited] appeared on the One and Only Lorne Community Facebook Page on November 6th under the banner and logo of the Victorian Fisheries Authority.

“Our Fisheries Officers want to thank the Lorne community after calls to 13FISH helped us maintain healthy, sustainable fisheries along the Great Ocean Road.

Several calls last week led officers to attend Cathedral Rock, where two groups of fishers were not doing the right thing.

The first group [7 people] had gathered more than 100 abalone [24 undersized], 92 red shore crabs, and some 15 litres of mixed molluscs.

The second [4 people] was intercepted with 193 red shore crabs [bag limit 30/person], 24 abalone [14 undersized], and a half litre of molluscs.

Individuals will face fines up to $2,174 each for these offences, including: taking abalone during the closed season, exceeding the abalone bag limit, exceeding the bag limit for red shore crabs, and removing molluscs from the intertidal zone.

The abalone season in central Victorian waters is open on most weekends and public holidays from November 16th to April 30th.

Anyone suspicious of illegal fishing is encouraged to contact the Fisheries Officers on 13FISH [13 3474]. Callers may remain anonymous.

More information can be found at www.vfa.vic.gov.au/abalone.”

The word abalone derives from the Spanish abulón and is the name given to a common marine mollusc of the gastropod family. While it is, in effect, just a very large snail, it is not the largest known. That honour goes to the Australian trumpet or false trumpet snail—a gigantic sea snail that measures up to 75cm in length and weighs up to 18kg! The genus name for abalone, Haliotis, had me blanching at the thought of serving such a delicacy with a garlic sauce … until, at least, I realised I had slightly misread the name and thought the genus was Halitosis. Halitosis + garlic … now that would be a powerful pairing!

As a kid, I loved collecting empty abalone shells around the Point Grey rocks, for in those more permissive days, they had a multitude of uses around the house, like small dishes to serve dips in, receptacles for small knick-knacks on the dresser, pin holders for the sewing machine, and very effective ashtrays for the smokers.

The Wikipedia website https://tinyurl.com/mr2u4wcz offers a detailed discussion of the abalone, and edited sections are recorded below [italics], with the shell construct being particularly fascinating … the things people think of, eh? … https://tinyurl.com/4j8j96yd.

“… Marine scientists recognise 56 separate species, though some report the unofficial count to be more than 230.

The abalone shell is exceptionally strong and is made of microscopic calcium carbonate tiles stacked like bricks. Between the layers of tiles is a clingy protein substance. When the abalone shell is struck, the tiles slide instead of shattering, and the protein stretches to absorb the energy of the blow. Marine scientists are studying this tiled structure in the hope it may give valuable insight into stronger ceramic products—like armour plating.

Abalone shells have a low, open spiral structure, with several open respiratory pores in a row near the shell’s outer edge. These holes have several functions: they permit the animals’ gills to vent water and release sperm and eggs into the sea. Each species has a typical number of open holes, ranging from four to ten.

The thick inner layer of the shell is composed of nacre, which in many species is highly iridescent, giving rise to a range of strong and changeable colours. This makes the shell attractive to humans as a decorative object, for jewellery, and as a source of colourful mother-of-pearl.”

Indeed, my mum used to call them ‘Mother of Pearl’ shells [and this is still one of their commonest names]. Mutton shells [why?] and ear shells [well, sort of!] are other alternatives. Whatever the case, their glorious iridescence conjures comparisons to white and light opals, leading to yet another name you may hear: the ‘Opals of the Sea’.

“… as abalone flesh is widely considered a delicacy and is consumed raw or cooked by a variety of cultures around the world, there is an extensive global black market for collecting and exporting abalone meat. Poaching is a major problem, and hundreds of thousands are illegally taken each year.”

The Sydney Fish Market … https://tinyurl.com/3xycfrjx …offers the following advice on preparing abalone for the table [though note there is [1] a season and [2] a bag limit and purchasing through a recognised fish market is advised].

“… first, beat lightly [emphasis on ‘lightly’] with a meat hammer. Though the frill and lip don’t need trimming, the dark film on the foot and sides does need to be scraped off, or the meat will toughen. As abalone is low in natural oils, it is best cooked either very quickly over high heat for just a few seconds or very slowly on very low heat for up to 6 hours [depending on its size]. The meat absorbs flavour well and can be braised, steamed, poached [NB: the cooking type of ‘poached’], pan-fried, stir-fried, barbequed, or eaten raw as sashimi.”

The popularity of abalone as a delicacy circles me back to the start of this article, as there is good evidence that abalone are becoming harder to find and are being poached when juvenile, before they can reach sexual maturity and reproduce.

While abalone farming is helping to control the flow of illegally taken animals, our Fisheries Officers are seeking community help to pinpoint poachers and bring them to justice.

Although this article has concentrated on abalone, there is a similar threat to other molluscs along our rocky coast. Limpets … as a child, I used to love gluing an upright matchstick to the concave bottom of a large limpet, adding a paper sail, and sailing them in my bath … and other shellfish—gastropod snails—are also being illegally taken by the thousand to be boiled into shellfish stew.

To my shame, I saw this exact practice being played out in the back of a van in the pier carpark only two weeks ago. If I had been aware of the magnitude of the issue or of the reporting process [see above], I would have taken a more active role. To be fair, many ‘weekend warriors’ may be blissfully unaware that their actions are illegal. However, until they are educated, the practice will continue, and our shores will be denuded.

John Agar

Feature Writer

A word from the chairman

Hello

By the time you read this column, Christmas will be barely a month away. How does that happen? One minute it’s the Grand Final and then we are trying to fit in everything that needs to be done, and everyone that needs to be seen, before Christmas.

While Christmas has lost its religious significance for many in our increasingly secular society, it is still an important traditional and special time to catch up with family and friends, and to remember those who are no longer with us. It is also a time for us to take a breather from the busyness of life, to reflect on what is important (and what is not) in our lives, and to make plans to focus on our priorities.

And who is not moved by the sheer delight of young children when they receive presents on Christmas morning or see a Christmas tree or decorations. While I am not a fan of the commercialisation of Christmas, the Myer Christmas windows have always played a special role in Melbourne’s celebration of Christmas, and you know Santa is not far away when the windows open. How disappointing then to hear that a small group of activists want to disrupt this simple pleasure and deter people from attending out of fear for their (and their children’s) safety. The actions of these few have given the Myer windows publicity they couldn’t buy! I encourage everyone to visit the windows to show that we will not be intimidated and we will not have our freedom of movement dictated by a noisy minority. I will certainly be going for a look when I am next in Melbourne!

*****

Last week the Point Grey precinct Community Reference Group met for the first time since July.

GORCAPA have been busily working behind the scenes on a Coastal Adaptation Pathway (CAP) to protect the precinct from potential future erosion, and thereby enable development to proceed. We are confident this can be achieved.

The majority of the meeting was taken up with the presentation and discussion of a concept Urban Design Framework (plan) for the precinct developed by consultants, Human Habitats. As you would expect there was full and robust input from the community members of the CRG. GORCAPA have undertaken to update the concept plans taking into account the community input, with a view to holding a further CRG meeting in the near future and then putting the concept plans out for public consultation early in 2025.

*****

This week’s riddle “What do you call a swimming pool with no water?” Best response gets a free bottle of water.

How lucky are we that we have the Louttit Bay pool on our doorstep, open year-round, free and solar heated!

Cheers

John