SEATTLE — The National Marine Fisheries Service has declined to list a prized 6-inch Pacific Ocean marine snail as an endangered or threatened species.
The federal agency announced this week that its status review found that the pinto abalone is not currently in danger of extinction and does not warrant federal protection under the Endangered Species Act at this time.
Pinto abalone, valued for its delicate flavor and mother-of-pearl shell, are found from Alaska to Baja California.
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