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

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

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Suitability of Habitats for Growth of Black-Lip and Silver-Lip Pearl Oysters F<strong>in</strong>al, June 20081.0 INTRODUCTIONThe European Union has recently funded a project entitled ‘<strong>Stimulat<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong><strong>in</strong>vestment</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>pearl</strong>farm<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the Solomon Islands’. The primary objective of this project is to provide offshore<strong>pearl</strong> companies with sufficient <strong>in</strong>formation to determ<strong>in</strong>e the potential for long-term<strong><strong>in</strong>vestment</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>pearl</strong> farm<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the Solomon Islands. Information on the follow<strong>in</strong>g aspects iscurrently be<strong>in</strong>g compiled for this project:• Publications on the availability and culture of black-lip pear oysters <strong>in</strong> the SolomonIslands;• Availability and quality of silver-lip <strong>pearl</strong> oyster resources <strong>in</strong> the Solomon Islands;• Availability of suitable habitats and environmental conditions for the growth of black-lipand silver-lip <strong>pearl</strong> oysters <strong>in</strong> the Solomon Islands and <strong>pearl</strong>-produc<strong>in</strong>g regions of theSouth Pacific;• The <strong><strong>in</strong>vestment</strong> climate <strong>in</strong> the Solomon Islands;• Policy guidel<strong>in</strong>es for the development of environmentally and f<strong>in</strong>ancially susta<strong>in</strong>able<strong>pearl</strong> farm<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the Solomon Islands; and• Offshore <strong>pearl</strong> companies most likely to consider <strong>in</strong>vest<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>pearl</strong> farm<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> theSolomon Islands.In February 2007, The <strong>World</strong> <strong>Fish</strong> Centre commissioned The Ecology Lab Pty Ltd to providea number of consultancy services for the EU project, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the preparation of thefollow<strong>in</strong>g report compar<strong>in</strong>g coral reef lagoons and habitats suitable for grow<strong>in</strong>g black-lipand white-lip <strong>pearl</strong> oysters <strong>in</strong> the Solomon Islands with other locations <strong>in</strong> the Pacific,specifically French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Australia, Fiji, Vanuatu and Papua New Gu<strong>in</strong>ea.A comparison of this type requires an understand<strong>in</strong>g of the environmental needs of eachspecies and a sound knowledge of the environmental conditions prevail<strong>in</strong>g at exist<strong>in</strong>g farmlocations, the different types of coral reef and lagoon habitats <strong>in</strong> the specified regions andtheir prevail<strong>in</strong>g environmental conditions and the <strong>in</strong>fluence of the natural environment onthe various stages of culture. This report addresses each of these aspects <strong>in</strong> turn and drawsconclusions about the suitability of the habitats available for grow<strong>in</strong>g <strong>pearl</strong> oysters <strong>in</strong> theSolomon Islands relative to those <strong>in</strong> the other Pacific regions.The Ecology Lab Pty Ltd – Mar<strong>in</strong>e and Freshwater Studies Page 2

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