Sea of Prosperity: Foundations of the California Commercial Abalone Fishery Linda Bentz 1 & Todd J. Braje 1 # Springer Science+Business Media New York 2016 Abstract Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, the first commercial abalone fishery sprang to life along the shores of central and southern California, an industry founded and developed by pioneering Chinese immigrants. Archaeolog- ical survey and excavation projects along California’s offshore islands and histor- ical records searches have uncovered details on how Chinese immigrants established what became a multi-million dollar commercial fishery. Here, we offer the first synthesis of archaeological and historical data of Chinese abalone fishing across California’s Channel Islands. Our results reveal details about the history and lifeways of Chinese fishermen, their business practices, and their participation in local, regional, and global economies. Keywords Chinese fishermen . Channel Islands . Commercial trade . California Introduction Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century a group of Chinese immigrants began commercial harvest of California ’s black abalone ( Haliotis cracherodii ) populations using traditional skills, maritime technology, and globalized food networks. Chinese abalone fishermen built the first successful commercial fishery in California by exporting dried abalone meat to ready markets in western North America and mainland China. Millions of Chinese people depended on marine products, and abalone was considered a highly valued delicacy (Lydon 2008, p. 32; Yen 1910, p. 371). Int J Histor Archaeol DOI 10.1007/s10761-016-0389-7 * Linda Bentz lindabentz@gmail.com Todd J. Braje tbraje@mail.sdsu.edu 1 Department of Anthropology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182-6040, USA