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

Spat collectionSpat are very sensitive to heat and drying out.If you must handle them, do not leave them out of the water for more than a few minutes. When out ofthe water, keep them cool and shaded.Give spat plenty of room to grow.When spat are kept in lantern baskets, they tend to attach themselves to each other. You should checkthe lantern baskets at least once a week and gently cut the spat apart if they are attached. Make sure thateach spat has at least 4 in (10 cm) between it and other spat, whether they are kept in lantern baskets orpanels.Protect the spat from predators.Carefully inspect lantern baskets at least once a week for predators like snails and crabs and exterminatethem. If spat are kept on the collectors or in some type of container that is not enclosed, be sure tokeep these at least 165 ft (50 m) from reef areas to lower the risk of predation from fish and octopus.Once spat are removed from the collectors they can be kept at a depth of 19-23 ft (6-7m).Hang lantern baskets or panels containing spat at a depth of 19-23 ft (6-7 m). If keeping spat on thecollectors until they are large, the main line holding these collectors can be allowed to sink slightly.What to do if the spat collectors do not collect any spatIn some areas, it may be difficult to collect many spat. You should expect to collect at least 1 or 2 spaton each collector, although more is ideal. If the collectors do not yield this number of spat after 6-8months in the water, see if any of the following tips help:The collectors may be too deep.If you see spat setting on the ropes and floats, but not the collectors, this may be a sign that the collectorsare too low in the water. Make sure all collectors are no deeper than 6 ft (2 m). Add more floats atany part of the line that sags below 6 ft (2 m).The collectors may be too shallow.In some cases, you may observe that a large number of other bivalves are settling on the collectors. Ifyou see Black-Lip spat anywhere on the anchor lines lower than the collectors, you may need to lowerthe collectors to the same depth.Page 45