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

Page 5The concepts and suggestions presented in the report are then used to formulate twodocuments for consideration by appropriate agencies in the Solomon Islands Government:• a pearl farming policy statement, which lays out Government’s plans for andexpectations from the industry, and identifies a framework for socially andenvironmentally responsible industry development;• a pearl farming regulation, which embodies rules and requirements applying tolicensed operators, and which will apply to any pearl farming licenses issued bythe Government.Draft licence application and issue forms have also been prepared to assist the administrativeprocess through which the policy and regulation will be implemented.These documents have been produced after widespread consultation with Solomon Islandauthorities and it is anticipated, but cannot be guaranteed, that they will formally be adoptedby Government after due consideration and reflection. It is further expected that the latterdocument will be integrated into the review and revision of Solomon Islands fisherylegislation which is currently under way.3. PEARL FARMING IN THE PACIFIC ISLANDS3.1. Development historyTwo species of pearl oyster, the black-lip pearl oyster (Pinctada margaritifera) and thewhite-lip pearl oyster (P. maxima) 1 are used in commercial production of farmed pearls in thePacific islands. P. margaritifera is the smaller of the two species, and is found throughout thePacific Islands region, as well as in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. P. maxima has a morelimited distribution, and is only found naturally in the high-island countries west of Fiji,although attempts have been made to introduce it to Palau, Kiribati, Tonga and othercountries. Both species occur naturally in Solomon Islands.Commercial farming of the white-lip pearl oyster originally developed on the northern andwestern coasts of Australia. In recent years some Australian operators have moved offshoreto reduce labour costs and escape the strict Australian regulatory environment, as a result ofwhich new farming operations have spread to Indonesia Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines andMyanmar. Indonesia has now overtaken Australia as the world’s largest producer ofP. maxima pearls in terms of volume, but lags far behind in terms of value. A single white-lippearl farm has been operating in Papua New Guinea since about 1995, but there are no othersin the Pacific Islands region. Pearls from white-lip pearl oysters are generally more valuablethan those from black-lip because of their gold-to-white coloration and larger sizes.Commercial farming of the black-lip pearl oyster takes place in two Pacific Island countries –French Polynesia and Cook Islands – of which French Polynesia is the most prominent. Pearlfarming went through a 25-year development phase in French Polynesia, and continues to bethe biggest employer and export earner for the country. However the industry has declinedsignificantly in recent years, mainly due to problems of overproduction and poor pearlquality. In 1998 French Polynesia produced around 5 tonnes of pearls worth over US$ 1501 There are two varieties of P. maxima, commonly referred to as gold-lip and silver-lip. It is not known forcertain whether only one or both these varieties occurs in Solomon Islands. The term white-lip is used hereto include both varieties.