Pinto abalone, the only abalone species native to the Salish Sea and a species undergoing restoration efforts in Skagit and San Juan counties, is in trouble. State and regional experts have known of the pinto abaloneâs plight for years, but a new report from the Endangered Species Coalition puts its struggles in the limelight. The coalitionâs report âTrafficked: 10 Species Threatened by the Wildlife Tradeâ highlights pinto abalone as one of 10 species at risk of extinction due both to legal harvesting at unsustainable levels and illegal harvesting â or poaching. The pinto abalone has long been sought for its meat â a delicacy in Asia and formerly in the Pacific Northwest â as well as for its shiny shells. Harvesting the pinto abalone in Washington has been illegal since 1994.