Stimulating investment in pearl farming in ... - World Fish Center

Abundance, Size Structure and Quality of Silver-lip Pearl Oysters in the Solomon Islands Final, June 20083.0 RESULTS3.1 Recent and Ongoing Exploitation of Pearl OystersThe results of the interviews undertaken with island communities are summarised inAppendix 3. The key information obtained from each community about recent and ongoingexploitation and the current distribution of silver-lip oysters is outlined below.3.1.1. Recent and Ongoing ExploitationThe respondents indicated that small amounts of shell are still collected at Marau, MboliPassage, Sandfly Passage and Maramasike (Malaita). These are used locally as jewelleryand/or shell money. They also mentioned that there is a local market for oyster shell atMaramasike (Malaita) and that some of the divers at Kia are collecting silver-lip oysters andstoring them near their houses in the hope that the fishery will be re-opened. Therespondents at Waghina indicated that big harvests of pearl oysters have occasionally beenmade since the ban and the shell sold to illegal exporters.3.1.2 Current DistributionThe Waghina community indicated that plenty of silver-lip oysters are available and that thebest places to find them are throughout Hamilton Channel, in the narrow channel atNgosele and in the channel running from Kia towards Waghina.The respondents from Kia indicated that silver-lip oysters can still be found at shallowdepths and that they occur on a variety of substrata, including mud and broken coral. Theyalso mentioned that oysters can be found in the small channel at Kakadeke at depths of 10-20 m.According to the Marovo (Telina/Mbili) community, silver-lip oysters can be found inalmost every channel between the islands, at depths greater than 20 m and sometimes occurin good numbers. Silver-lip oysters were also reported to occur on stony substrata in MbiliPassage and in nearby 30 m deep channels.At Marau, silver-lip oysters were reported to be widespread and present in lagoons,passages and open water. The shallow Suukitahi Passage, the slopes of the passes betweenthe islands and an area NE of Taiaru Reef were reported to be good fishing sites.The interviewees at Ngella, indicated that shell is taken from the water at the northern endof Mboli Passage and in the area to the east and west of the passage where it spills out intothe open sea. At Mboli Passage itself, shell collecting begins part way up the passage (fromHoniara end) and extends right up to the mangroves. It was reported that no shells occur atthe southern part of Mboli Passage nor where it opens to the sea. At Sandfly Passage, shellis taken in the bays and slopes to north and south, rather than in the centre which is deep.The favoured locations are around Mbike Island and the promontory to the north of this(Hanipana Pt), Roderick Dhu Bay and Haroro Bay. The respondents also mentioned thatshell occurred in Hanesavo Harbour and the passage running NE/SW to the E ofMangalonga Island, to the NW of Sandfly Passage.Three collecting areas were identified on the east and west sides of the northern mouth ofMaramasike Passage.The Ecology Lab Pty Ltd – Marine and Freshwater Studies Page 8