California Department of Fish and Wildlife officers allegedly recovered 15 poached red abalone, shown here, from a man arrested at Ocean Cove near Jenner, Calif. on the Sonoma Coast in 2025. Red abalone are critically endangered and the state prohibits hunting the species. (CDFW via Bay City News)

A man was arrested recently along the Sonoma Coast for allegedly possessing poached red abalone he intended to sell, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said Wednesday. 

CDFW did not release the man’s name or the date of the arrest. Wildlife officers said they spotted lights at Ocean Cove in the unincorporated community of Jenner. Officers approached a group of people and allegedly saw several of them placing items in containers. One man was found carrying a bag with 15 poached red abalone, CDFW officials said. 

He was arrested on suspicion of possessing abalone with the intent to sell, and was booked into Sonoma County Jail, according to CDFW. No additional details were released. 

Red abalone, the largest abalone species found in California, is critically endangered. Populations have collapsed in recent years due to the explosion of purple sea urchins, which have decimated kelp forests — the primary food source for abalone, according to CDFW. 

Due to red abalone’s declining numbers, the state has prohibited red abalone hunting since 2016. State law allows fines of up to $40,000 and one year in jail for poaching.