What is perlemoen meaning?

What is perlemoen meaning?

mother-of-pearl
South African abalone, mostly known locally as perlemoen (from the Dutch meaning ‘mother-of-pearl’), is endemic to the shores of South Africa.

What is the English name for abalone?

Other common names are ear shells, sea ears, and, rarely, muttonfish or muttonshells in parts of Australia, ormer in the UK, perlemoen in South Africa, and the Maori name for three species in New Zealand is pāua. Abalones are marine snails.

How much does perlemoen cost?

The species is in demand on the black market, with prices of up to R4500 a kilo in South Africa and almost three times that in Asia. However, the locals who dive for perlemoen probably only see around R300 a kilo — but in poverty-stricken areas on the coast, that’s a decent amount of money.

Is abalone a fish?

Abalone (ab-ah-LOW-nee) is a large marine gastropod mollusk. The large sea snail is most often found in the cold waters of New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Japan, and the west coast of North America. Among the world’s most expensive seafood, abalone is often sold live in the shell, frozen, or canned.

Why is perlemoen illegal in South Africa?

In the 1940s, commercial abalone fishery was thriving, but today it is illegal to take perlemoen from the ocean. Abalone is a highly prized delicacy and aphrodisiac in the Far East and fetches steep prices on the black market. Poaching is rife and corruption and drug dealing aggravate the problem further.

How much is abalone worth?

Abalone Price The quantities fished are thus limited in comparison to demand, and the price of wild abalone can run as high as $500USD per kilo, depending on size. The fact that abalone shells are quite heavy only compounds the issue, as a kilo caught roughly translates into 250 grams of meat.

How does a perlemoen look?

Perlemoen (Haliotis midae) It is very large and can grow up to 23cm across. Its shell is corrugated at irregular intervals, with “furry” projections of simple tentacles protruding from the shell’s edge. It inhabits shallow reefs, feeding on kelp and red algae along the coasts of the Western and Eastern Capes.

Why is it illegal to remove perlemoen from the ocean?

Can you eat abalone?

You can eat them raw or cooked, like a clam, but grilling seems to work best. Pop them on any grill shell side-down, and it cooks in its own juices. The flavor is naturally buttery and salty, thanks to the salt water in which it lives. If you’re going to eat abalone, the most important thing to remember is your wallet.

Is abalone illegal?

It is illegal to take abalone from the ocean. Numbers of abalone are now at critically low levels because of over-exploitation. People in local communities are either paid money or given drugs by large syndicates to illegally remove abalone from the ocean. The abalone is then exported overseas.

Is abalone a mussel?

So what exactly IS abalone? Essentially, it’s a sea snail. More technically, it’s a gastropod mollusk in the Haliotidae family (along with whelks and sea slugs).