POTENTIAL OF COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF MABE PEARL FARMING IN VAVA'U ISLANDS, KINGDOM OF TONGA
Field Document No. 5
| POTENTIAL OF COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF MABE PEARL FARMING IN VAVA'U ISLANDS, KINGDOM OF TONGA |
by
TETSU YAMAMOTO
Project Consultant
and
HIDEYUKI TANAKA
Chief Technical Adviser
Prepared for the Ministry of Fisheries,
Kingdom of Tonga
The designations employed and the presentations of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations concerning the legal or constitutional status of any country, territory, city or area or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
The Food and Agriculture Organization is greatly indebted to the organizations and individuals who assisted in the implementation of the project by providing information, advice and facilities.
Wild “Mabe”, giant winged-pearl oyster, was newly found in Neiafu Bay in Vava'u, Kingdom of Tonga in 1988. This species had never been familiar to the Vava'u people until it was introduced in 1975 from Japan for the purpose of pearl farming, though small local wingedpearl oyster was well known to the people.
In 1963, Prince Tungi (King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV) requested a Japanese company to assist in pearl farming development in Tonga. The feasibility study carried out by the Tasaki Pearl Co. Ltd., found black-lip pearl oyster resource, but concluded less potential due to its insufficient wild stock. Because of continued interest of pearl farming in Tonga, the company commenced pearl farming trials in Vava'u from 1975 with an introduction of 220 hatchery-produced Mabe oysters from Japan. Mabe oyster was again introduced in 1977 and 1979 with other pearl oysters such as Akoya-pearl oyster, black-lip pearl oyster and silver-lip pearl oyster. Among those species, Mabe oyster resulted in the best in growth in the Neiafu Bay. During the negotiation period on a set-up of a joint venture pearl farm between the company and Government of Tonga, the pilot farm was abandoned since 1982 when Cyclone Isaac hit Vava'u.
After the exploration of Mabe wild resource in 1988, the FAO South Pacific Aquaculture Development Project (SPADP) encouraged them to commence spat collection experiment. With a successful mass-spat collection in 1990, SPADP supported a further grow-out experiment with arrangement of training on pearl production.
Since the result of the farming experiment has sounded promising, SPADP is recommending to the Government of Tonga to look into industrialization of pearl farming in Vava'u, with not only Mabe but also other pearl oysters. Mr. Tetsu Yamamoto, President of Takuyo Co. Ltd., kindly accepted to do voluntary consultation towards pearl farming development in Tonga. He was a pioneer of Mabe pearl farming and is running one of the largest Mabe farms in Japan. I herein thank Mr. Yamamoto cordially for his priceless contribution.
Tanaka Hideyuki
Chief Technical Adviser
1997
SOUTH PACIFIC AQUACULTURE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (PHASE II)
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
(GCP/RAS/116/JPN)
Suva, Fiji
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POTENTIAL OF COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF MABE PEARL FARMING IN VAVA'U ISLANDS, KINGDOM OF TONGA
Attachment 1: Map 1; - Proposed sites for pearl farming in Vava'u islands
Map 2.1 – 2.7; Sites Nos. 1–11 (Zones A, B and C)
Attachment 2: Layout of a long-last pearl farming raft (long-line)