The Basic Methods of Pearl Farming: A Layman's Manual - CTSA

General farm managementGeneral farm managementTending the farm is an important part of producing good pearls. Growing pearl oysters is the same asgrowing any crop; the farm must be tended often for the pearl oysters to grow well and produce highquality pearls. The following are the most important farm management activities:Visit the farm at least every 2 days to inspect it for any maintenance needs.When visiting the farm, look for damaged or missing lines and floats. Be sure the depth of the line is16-19 ft (5-6 m). If needed, adjust the depth of the line by adding floats or tightening the anchor lines.Make sure none of the pearl oysters have fallen off or been stolen. Count how many pearl oysters havedied and keep a record of this. Frequent visits will also allow you to judge when the pearl oysters needto be cleaned.Clean the pearl oysters and lines monthly.Pearl oysters must be cleaned of the fouling organisms that grow on their shells. If left for long periods,these organisms can bore through the shell or compete with the pearl oysters for food. Some types offouling organisms can grow between the shells and prevent the pearl oyster from closing completely.Fouling on the lines and pearl oysters can cause the line to sink under the increased weight. Frequentcleaning will make the job easier by removing the fouling organisms while they are still small andeasily removed.Cleaning can be done by gently cutting off the fouling organisms with a knife or a steel-wire brush.Mechanized cleaning machines that use high power jets to remove fouling are available. Anotheralternative is to use a high-pressure hydraulic sprayer designed for use with seawater.It is important to understand that cleaning is stressful for the pearl oysters, and if done too roughly ortoo frequently, could lead to poor quality pearls. Pearl oysters should not be cleaned more often thanonce a month, because they need time to recover from the stress. It is usually not necessary to cleanthem more frequently than this at any rate. The farmer must strike a balance between keeping the pearloysters sufficiently clean, not over-stressing the animal and wasting valuable time.There may be certain areas within a lagoon where farming occurs more rapidly than in others. If youexperience very heavy fouling or fouling by particularly damaging organisms such as the boring sponge,you might want to consider moving the farm.Page 33