Elliott’s supports recovery of native abalone.

Seattle’s seafood mecca expands partnership with Puget Sound Restoration Fund to support recovery of the only native abalone species in Puget Sound

Through March 31, the Puget Sound Restoration Fund is raising $50,000 to help rebuild the Salish Sea’s only native abalone population – the mighty Haliotis kamtschatkana – or Pinto abalone. Currently considered functionally extinct in Washington waters, there are too few left in the wild to reproduce successfully and recovery is not possible without human intervention.

The Puget Sound Restoration Fund will match donations up to $25,000 to help fund the reintroduction of 2,500 abalone in March, identification of two new out plant sites, follow-up surveys, and preparation for an even bigger out plant in 2012.

Eat Your Way to Helping the Cause

Throughout the month of March, Elliott’s will serve an abalone ceviche supreme appetizer of thinly sliced Monterey Bay abalone in lemon grass marinate with cucumber-jicama salad and blood orange and tangelo citrus supremes for $12. For each appetizer sold Elliott’s will donate 25% to Puget Sound Restoration Fund.

“With the help of Elliott’s Oyster House and its guests, The Puget Sound Restoration Fund is committed to restoring iconic species that have defined coastal life in the Northwest for thousands of years,” said Betsy Peabody, executive director of the Puget Sound Restoration Fund. “Pinto abalone are a vital component of a dynamic ecosystem and without them the overall health of the system declines. Their population has declined in Washington because of overharvest combined with illegal harvest, so it’s very important that people don’t go out and harvest abalone on their own.  The sport fishery was closed in 1994 due to low population levels.”

“We are so fortunate at Elliott’s to have so many fantastic products close to us, and it is exciting to explore the possibility of adding abalone to our menu,” said Robert Spaulding, executive chef at Elliott’s Oyster House.  “Our relationship with Betsy Peabody and the Puget Sound Restoration Fund has been both productive and educational and we have the utmost confidence that Betsy and her team will be successful in reintroducing abalone locally.  We know that abalone recovery will take many decades.  In the meantime, we are committed to offering sustainable products to our guests and farm grown abalone will be a wonderful addition to the oysters, clams, mussels and geoduck that we currently offer on our menu.”


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