When Hermanus was founded 150 years ago, perlemoen/abalone was abundant on the shoreline. The fishing industry was the first economic base of the town and became its first tourist attraction as well. Over the years the bounty of fish was aggressively harvested, many species disappeared and men turned their attention to the prized shellfish, abalone.
Regulations, limited quotas and a limit on the number of packers in the industry could not safeguard the resource. Poachers discovered the easy money available and poaching turned into a full-scale industry.

Fortunately there were men of vision in the early 1990′s when the abalone poaching problem was in its infancy. It was quite clear that government could not do enough to protect the resource, and the only possible solution was aquaculture.

In 1993 the industry was removing 600t, the sport diver an estimated further 150 – 200t and poachers an estimate of 200t. The resource was only just keeping up with the harvesters. Today, despite a total ban on sports divers and the complete closure of the commercial harvest, it is in severe danger of being completely depleted, with poaching removing an estimated 1000t per year.

In the early 1990′s, attempts were made to do what Mother Nature seems to do so effortlessly at sea. Research into the spawning and rearing of abalone was in its infancy, but visionaries like Dr Pierre Hugo of Abagold and others, who were prepared to invest time, money and expertise, turned these ventures into a viable farming