Perlemoen or abalone may only be collected by diving from the shore without the use of artificial breathing aparatus. Any person who collects perlemoen in the open season must be in posession of a permit which will only be issued to persons 12 years and older. Favourite diving spots are of Schulphoek, Onrus River, Vermont and Sandbaai - where the kelp is thick and the sea calm enough to let you in.
For up to date information regarding permits and the open season contact the Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism - Marine and Coastal Management Telephone 021-402 3911 or in Hermanus 3122609.
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Hermanus perlemoen
The creature that inhabits the rounded, flattish shell is a vegetarian sea snail with an extremely broad, muscular 'foot'. This foot anchors the snail to the rocks and enables it to withstand the strong buffeting of the waves. Perlemoen are found among most rocky reefs. They feed mostly on seaweed, which they trap in a remarkable way.The front end of the 'foot' is marginally raised, and when a piece of seaweed drifts underneath the foot clamps down on it. The shell of a perlemoen grows to a length of 200 mm. The outside, which is covered in irregular ridges radiating from the slightly raised apex, ranges from purplish brown to grey. The inside is irridescent mother-of-pearl. The word 'perlemoen' is a corruption of the Afrikaans word perlemoer meaning mother-of-pearl.
The insatiable appetite of the East for the delectable abalone of the West has created not only a burgeoning black market headache but is also nurturing the infant mariculture industry in Hermanus, the home of abalone, or perlemoen as it is known here.
The shores of Hermanus were rich with natural perlemoen once, but the commercial industry, poachers and sport divers have made huge inroads into the resource over the past 50 years. So much so that scientists have carried out research into cultivating the rather unattractive but delicious shellfish in captivity and the industry is now beginning to harvest the rewards.
Natural perlemoen, a slow growing animal, breeds and grows in the kelp beds around our shores, and according to regulations, may be removed by divers once the shell has reached a diameter of 115mm - at which time the animal is about eight years old. Sport divers may remove four perlemoem per day during season and the industry's divers are given a quota of shellfish they may remove. Poachers unfortunately heed none of the regulations and remove undersized animals at any time. As a result the resource is being depleted at an alarming rate and only the mariculture industry can be relied upon to continue to provide the delicacy which earns our country millions in foreign exchange.
Cultivating perlemoen in captivity is not a simple task, yet thanks to the perseverance of mariculture scientists there are several abalone "farms" in South Africa, most of them centered around Hermanus. The process of cultivation is fascinating and time consuming but the first cultivated abalone are now being exported to the East.
 "Perlemoen shell")
