Fishery Report No. 104 PEARLING INDUSTRY STATUS REPORT 2009 INTRODUCTION Farm Production Pearl oyster farms are usually located in The Northern Territory (NT) pearling industry sheltered embayments that facilitate continual produced 137.8 Kan* of pearls in 2009 from access. Pearl oysters are placed in panels that farmed pearl oysters (Pinctada maxima). are suspended from floated longlines and are Production increased slightly (by 7%) from the watched regularly to ensure that fouling does not 127.8 Kan produced in 2008. Total industry value impede the viability of the pearl oyster or the of production increased by 16% from production of the pearl. $16.3 million in 2008 to $18.98 million in 2009. Pearl oysters are seeded by artificially placing a The recent global economic crisis continues to nucleus derived from the shell of the Mississippi have an impact on the pearling industry as there mud mussel together with a piece of donor is still a reduced demand, leading to reduced mantle tissue into the oyster. Pearl nacre forms prices for pearls in international markets. Pearl around the nucleus, creating the pearl. A series production and value are expected to remain of turning actions occur after the nucleus is relatively stable next year. implanted to assist in the development of a well shaped pearl sac to ensure even coating of the *Kan and momme are old Japanese units of weight nacre. It takes two years to produce a pearl. (1000 momme = 1 Kan). A momme equals 3.75 g. A 13 mm round pearl weighs about 1 momme. If an oyster produces a good quality round pearl, it may be re-seeded with another nucleus and PROFILE OF THE FARMING SECTOR maintained for another full growout cycle. However, only a small proportion of oysters are Commercial Production seeded a second time and even fewer a third time. Re-seeded pearl oysters generate larger Active pearl oyster farms are distributed along pearls, as a space has already been created in the northern coast of the NT in three main areas: the oyster by the production of the first pearl. Bynoe Harbour, Cobourg Peninsula/Croker Island and English Company Islands/Truant Farmed pearls vary in size, shape and quality, Island areas. Other lease sites are owned by and are priced accordingly. There are also licensees, but are not currently used for the several other products from pearl oyster culture, cultivation of pearls. namely half pearls or Mabe, Keshi (natural pearls of various shapes and sizes), Mother of Pearl Hatchery/Nursery Production (MOP - pearl oyster shell used for buttons, Most pearl oysters used in the production of jewellery and decorative inlays) and pearl meat Australian South Sea pearls in the NT are (the adductor muscle of the pearl oyster). hatchery-reared. Only one company operates a commercial hatchery in the NT at present. It uses Translocation oysters produced in its hatchery for growout on A protocol is in place that addresses health and its leases and also has the option to sell them to security issues related to the importation of adult other licensees. Pearl oysters farmed by other and juvenile pearl oysters into the NT and their licensees are sourced from hatcheries or are translocation within the NT. wild-harvested oysters from Western Australia (WA). Marketing The marketing of Australian South Sea pearls is conducted individually by licensees. Most of the pearls produced each year are sold via private Page 143 Pearling Industry treaty, at auctions in either Japan or Hong Kong, pearl oysters by the Bureau of Rural Resources or through retail outlets operated by the in 1989. This was followed by a Fisheries companies in Australia and overseas. MOP is Research and Development Corporation (FRDC)- sold in many different countries; Italy and Korea funded project which commenced in 1991 to are the major customers. Pearl meat, which is describe the current status of the fishery, valued at around $85/kg, is currently only sold in determine the size-frequency and morphometric the Australian market. characteristics of harvested NT pearl oysters, and monitor the period and abundance of pearl Employment oyster settlement. About 98 people were directly employed in pearl Work on improving the feeding of pearl oyster farming or farm-related activities in the NT during spat and broodstock was undertaken in the mid- 2009, down from 114 in 2008. The effects of the 1990s using funds from the Cooperative global economic crisis have resulted in further Research Centre for Aquaculture. rationalisation of employment. The closure of several pearling companies in WA along with the An FRDC-funded report on a survey of pearl downturn in staffing requirements by the mining oyster health across northern Australia in 1998 industry is continuing to ease recruitment provided valuable information to assist the difficulties previously experienced by the local industry and the government to improve disease pearling industry. management protocols. A book titled ‘The pearl oyster Pinctada maxima: An atlas of functional Indigenous Development anatomy, pathology and histopathology’ was Aboriginal people play an important role in the published in 2005, based on samples taken operation of pearl farms. The land-based during the pearl oyster health survey. The infrastructure of most farms is located on samples were submitted to the Veterinary Indigenous owned land and is controlled through Pathology Laboratories in WA, to Queensland access agreements with traditional owners and and to the NT. land councils. Employment opportunities exist for Much of the research by the pearling industry is local Aboriginal people to assist in the operation conducted in-house and its outcome is of the farms. contributing to the competitive advantage of Ecologically Sustainable individual companies. Development/Environmental INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT Management Pearling farms operate under Environmental History Management Plans (EMPs) to ensure that best Several species of pearl oysters are found in practices are employed to minimise the impact of Australian waters. The gold or silver-lipped pearl pearling operations on the environment. In oyster (Pinctada maxima) forms the basis of cooperation with the NT Government, the Australia’s pearl oyster fishery and the pearl industry has developed EMPs for each farm. oyster culture industry. The distribution of this species extends across the central Indo-Pacific RESEARCH region from India to New Guinea and the Philippines; in Australia, it extends from Summary Carnarvon on the west coast, to south of Cairns The renewed interest in pearling in the mid 1980s on the east coast. highlighted a lack of knowledge regarding pearl Pearl oysters have been fished commercially in stocks in the NT. This led to a survey of diving for NT waters since 1884 when 50 tonnes of pearl Page 144 Fishery Status Reports 2009 shell were harvested from Darwin Harbour. from WA and as techniques improved in the Historically, most pearl oysters were collected for transport of oysters to the NT, the reliance on their shell, which was sold for its MOP value – sourcing local oysters declined. the lustrous nacre of the shells was used for the production of buttons, ornaments and as an The success of Paspaley Pearls’ pearling additive in paints and cosmetics. Between 1884 activities in the NT and WA, along with an and 1887, oysters were collected from the expanding WA industry, prompted the NT harbour until they were fished out. Government to promote the expansion of a local pearling industry. Five additional companies met As pearlers spread around the coast from the government’s selection criteria and were Darwin, new pearling grounds were discovered given restricted licences in 1988. Companies that as the old were progressively fished out. This met the development covenants over the resulted in large yield fluctuations of MOP over following three years had their licences converted the next 80 years. By 1899, 51 luggers were to unrestricted licences. From 1987 to 1993, working the grounds harvesting about 200 tonnes there was renewed interest in harvesting pearl of MOP a year. This slowly fell to 60 tonnes by oysters from NT waters, with average yields 1910, ceased during WWI, and did not start again during this period reaching 40 tonnes per year. until 1923. Again production increased until 1930 Since 1994, there has been very limited when 32 luggers yielded about 700 tonnes per harvesting of pearl oysters due to a reliable year. Production stayed around this level until supply of hatchery-reared oysters and poor yields 1939 when WWII halted production until 1948. of good culture stock from the local pearling After the war, production slowly increased until grounds. 1953. In 1953, the Australian Government permitted 35 Japanese divers into Australia in an In 1998, to assist with the development of the attempt to rebuild the industry. The MOP industry industry, both the Pearl Oyster Culture Industry flourished again and production peaked at Management Plan and Fisheries Regulations 1100 tonnes a year and remained at that level for were changed to allow trade in fishing and three years. As the new areas were fished out, hatchery units. Further changes occurred in 2006 production again declined slowly. that included changing licensing from a financial to a calendar year, the provision of additional The arrival of plastics made shell harvesting pearl oysters to assist in training technicians in uneconomic and MOP harvesting virtually ceased the art of pearl oyster seeding and allowing by 1964 when only two luggers remained in the additional shell to account for pearl oysters that industry, harvesting only 5 tonnes that year. The fail to retain their seeded nuclei. This was Japanese fleet’s last harvest was in 1961. achieved by increasing the unit value by 15%, from 1000 to 1150 oysters. Meanwhile, pearl culture techniques were proving commercially viable and pearl oysters were being Current Management Arrangements collected for this purpose.