In Reply to: Interesting lobster regulation posted by Ken Kurtis on September 11, 2007 at 23:23:20:

We have a similar thing going on with Abalone. The limit is 3 per day with a total of 24 a year. Some people have a freezer full of abs cleaned and pounded so they can have it in the off season. This is a big no no. The rule says 3 in your posession at any given time, and this includes your freezer. Not only that, you cannot transport abalone out of the shell, and you can only remove it out of the shell and clean it directly prior to immediate consumption. What they mean by immediate is vague, what, 1 minute , 5 minutes, 2 hours, a day, maybe a few days? how about as long as the abalone will last without without spoiling and needing to be frozen, they don't say.

Lobsters can also be purchaced legally in a store so they would have a hard time proving which ones were hunted and or bought. With abs you can not buy farm raised ones over 7" in diameter so they can enforce this law much easier, and they do.