Pearls have fascinated humankind for thousands of years. Archaeological evidence indicates that almost 6,000 years ago in the Persian Gulf region, people were often buried with a pierced pearl resting in the right hand.
As products of living animals, pearls are unique among gems. In size, shape and color, they exist in an amazing variety of forms — far more than just small, round and white. The global market for pearl jewelry is worth US$1.5 billion, a quarter of which is in black pearls.
The black pearl comes from the black-lipped oyster, Pinctada margaritifera , which is found in many areas in the tropical Pacific Ocean . Unlike their names, black pearls are rarely fully black. Their thick layer of nacre is more usually a mix of hues, and just how desirable they are depends on colors achieved. The most desirable are peacock green, aubergine purple, ocean blue, various grays and iridescent colors.
WorldFish has initiated a program to culture high-quality black pearl in a sustainable manner in the Solomon Islands in collaboration with the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research and the island’s government.
A pilot farm has been established in the Western Province of the islands. The first crop of cultured pearls from the farm was auctioned in September 2000 as jewelry on the Internet by one of Australia ‘s elite auction houses, Bonhams & Goodman. This brought in more than US$29,000 which was returned to the people of the Solomons in the form of a donation to the Gizo hospital near the demonstration farm. A second auction of subsequent crops in June 2004 raised over US$18,000 for the hospital.
Before the program could begin, researchers first had to find enough baby oysters (spat) to cultivate on the demonstration farm. The presence of algae and natural predators in the nutrient-rich waters of the Solomons made the task difficult. After an extensive search, spat were found in the clear waters offshore. Production techniques were then developed to protect oysters from predators.
Pearl farming holds strong promise for the development new livelihoods for local communities. It can also play a key role in encouraging the islanders to conserve their natural resources. People are learning that they can farm something precious from the sea and that is making them care more about its future. The fledgling industry offers exciting prospects for the future.
Villagers can get involved in pearl farming by catching spat on simple collectors suspended in the water column, and then growing them for sale to large commercial farms. A recent analysis shows that one large farm in the Solomons with 100,000 oysters can generate income of as much as US$2,000 a year for up to 100 households. This figure can be 10 to 20 times higher if the industry grows to the size of the one in Cook Islands.
In the central Pacific, the industry is worth US$56 million in Cook Islands and US$200 million in French Polynesia . French Polynesians first cultivated black pearls about 30 years ago following a pearl jewelry boom.
The benefits of WorldFish’s work in the Solomons have spilled over to other parts of the western Pacific. The technology has been transferred to Tonga and Fiji , which are developing a pearl industry. Over the past few years, six pearl farms have been established in Fiji , which hopes to seed 10,000 oysters in 2004.
Pearl farming companies wanting to cut costs can also be expected to set up farms in the Solomons. Operating costs on the islands are far lower than in the main production centers of French Polynesia and Australia.
The Solomons is one of the region’s poorest countries. The troubled nation is recovering from years of civil unrest. Tourism is limited and the economy is shattered. The islands were thrown into chaos by an ethnic war fought over land rights, jobs and political power. In addition, overfishing and global warming threaten its coral reefs.
Pearl culture has great potential to create new livelihoods for coastal communities in the Indo-Pacific. As pearls are non-perishable and easy to ship, pearl farming is suitable for even the most remote locations, as demonstrated by the success of the industry in French Polynesia and Cook Islands.
Because of overharvesting, many places in the region can no longer rely on fisheries and forestry to provide jobs and earn revenue. Strong population growth is also making it harder for coastal communities to make a living from the natural environment. The population in the Solomons, for example, is likely to double within 20 years.
Pearl farming can also help to reduce ethnic tension by allowing people to remain within their local communities. Ethnic tension is high in many parts of the region. This can easily boil over into violence when people migrate to population centers and compete with other ethnic groups for scarce jobs.
The region has the highest ethnic diversity in the world. There are, for example, 69 languages in the Solomons (population: 470,000); 832 in Papua New Guinea (five million); and 109 in Vanuatu (210,000).
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