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

Abundance, Size Structure and Quality of Silver-lip Pearl Oysters in the Solomon Islands Draft, May 2008Appendix 4. Summary of the results of interviews with island communities.WaghinaWaghina emerged as the main historical centre for the gold-lip fishery. Historically, that is inthe 1970-1980 and briefly in 1990 prior to the ban, mother of pearl diving was an importanteconomic activity for many people. For many it was a full-time job. Local fishing wasconcentrated in the passage off of Kia, Hamilton Passage, from Tenbe to Tema, withconsiderable depths being dived for shell. Indeed towards the end of the fishery hookahdivers were operating to 70 m to collect shell, and many suffered decompression sickness asa result. Since the ban, occasional big harvests have still been made, with shell sold on toillegal exporters. MFMR have never had any involvement with the fishery, though weunderstand they did intercept one illegal shipment.Diving was best in the main passage (Hamilton Channel) but, due to currents, is onlyfeasible at neap tides (first and last quarter). Shell can be found on stony bottoms. Diversalso worked Kia and Ngosele Passage, in similar fast flowing channels, though at Ngoseleshell were also found on the muddy bottoms on the N side of the passage. In Ngosele, thebest areas are in the narrow channel, and in Kia the best area is reported as the channelrunning towards Wagina from Kia town.The dominant substrate where shell are found is crushed coral, and shells can be heavilycolonised, with older shell scarred on the inside. Best quality shell, ie least scarred, wasfound on sandy areas of lower flow, and smaller shell were least scarred. Shell was generallyeasy to find, and the divers report that there is plenty out there at the moment, thoughimmediately after the ban very few could still be found.KiaMoP was of lesser importance to Kia than to Waghina, where most local divers were maskdivers only, and few had access to hookah gear. It was important to a few people, and oflow importance to many. Most divers were Gilbertese from Wagina, and local peopleinvolved full time in the industry were usually canoe operators. Breath-hold divers stillencounter shell, at shallow depths and on a variety of substrates from mud to broken coral.Historically, most activity was in the fast flowing channels, which could only be worked onneap tides. Swirling areas were the best places to fish, as shell seemed to be concentratedthere, with fewer shells in the channel centres. Close to inflows from mangrove areas wasalso good and close to the groups of small islands. The small channel at Kakadeke also holdsgoldlips at 10-20 m. Nowadays, when breath-hold divers encounter goldlip they will oftencollect them and bring them into shore, to keep close to their houses in case they becomesaleable again. Shell are found on sand, mud, coral rubble, seagrass, even rock walls. As atWagina, small shell was less scarred and better quality than large shell.Marovo (Telina/Mbili)Not such an intense industry here, but of some value to some people in the past. Goldlipsare seen in almost every channel between the islands, at 20 m plus, and at times in goodnumbers. The shell is on sand/mud and rarely are badly scarred. Some locals still use shellfor carving (inlay/jewellery). Telina is in an area of quiet currents and can be worked at anytidal condition. Mbili Passage, where a strong exit/entrance current exists with a stonysubstrate is also reported to support GL, including in nearby 30 m deep channels. Fisherieshave been involved here in that they came to advocate the deployment of BL spat collectors,though nothing came of this, and there is no fisheries involvement yet with goldlip.MarauThe Ecology Lab Pty Ltd – Marine and Freshwater Studies