07-17-2009, 09:58 AM
What we're looking at is a gourmet product that's prime for expansion; one in which the laws of supply and demand determine price and the more that's produced, the better the price (unless, of course, there's an "abalone cartel" that controls supply and keeps prices high, which feeds the rich and denies the poor). In addition to the meat, their shells are processed into beautiful beads and inlay for jewelry, and they're pricey as well.