PEARLS & PEARL OYSTERS
Species Name:
Pinctada maxima
Common Name:
Silver Lip Pearl Oyster or South Sea Pearl
Where Found in the Wild:
Pearl oysters are found in northern parts of Australia where the water temperature is greater than 19 degrees all year. The oysters are either harvested by divers from the wild shell grounds off Broome or alternatively grown from hatcheries located in each state. Pearl oysters are farmed or cultivated for the purpose of growing the highly valuable South Sea Pearls. It takes about two years to produce a single pearl and then the same oyster may go on to produce its second and third pearl each time taking two years to produce. Other types of pearls including blister pearls (Mabe) and Keshi pearls (natural) are also formed. Once the oyster has finished its pearl producing life it is harvested for the valuable Mother of Pearl Shell and the Pearl Meat.
Description of Species as a Gourmet Product:
The pearl oyster meat is a highly prized gourmet delight thought to have aphrodisiac properties. It sells for at least $100 per kilogram fresh or $400 per kg dried in Asia. The meat is a white meat with a strong flavour not disimilar to scallop or abalone in flavour. Very small quantities of pearl meat are harvested annually making it a rare commodity and only available at select restaurants primarily in Sydney. It can only be purchased direct from the pearl farmer.
How is it Farmed
Pearl oysters are farmed in protected bays where the strong currents bring food rich waters past the oysters as they self feed by filter feeding. The pearl oysters are held in mesh panels suspended from surface or subsurface longlines which consist of a backbone of heavy duty rope attached to the seabed at either end by large anchors.
The oysters are cleaned regularly to remove marine fouling and keep them healthy and nourished so they can lay down plenty of “nacre” which forms the pearl. Pearl farming started in Australia in the mid 1950’s and continues today in much the same way as it did then using more modern technology now. The process of creating the pearl and seeding the pearl is unchanged and only performed by highly skilled pearl technicians. Each farmer will harvest one crop per year and must wait for at least two years for each crop to grow. Australian pearls are the most sought after and highest quality in the world and vary in quality and price depending on the size, shape, lustre, color and imperfections of each pearl.
How much is produced:
The Australian industry produces around $200 million annually in pearls and the pearl meat is a small scale by product of each harvest with less than 200kg of meat per annum being available to reach the gourmet tables of the world. Queensland is the smallest producing state in Australia but still has a cottage industry in the Torres Strait area.
Where is it sold:
Most pearl meat is exported to Asia with very little reaching the local market. Demand far exceeds supply.
Name of the Farmer who Produced the Product Being Eaten and where is the Farm:
The pearl meat was supplied by Mr Takami Kazu of Kazu Pearls based on Friday Island in the Torres Straits off far North Queensland. Friday Island pearl farm is one of the oldest pearl farms in Australia and is still run by its Japanese owner and crew using traditional methods. Kazu Pearls also run tourist visits to their farm from Thursday Island.
Serena Sanders is the Queensland Pearling Representative who has coordinated the exercise of getting this precious product to the venue. Until two years ago Serena also had her own pearl farm based out of Bamaga in the Torres Strait and she worked closely with Kazu Pearls. Serena still works as a consultant to a number of pearl farms in Australia as well as running her pearl jewellery and wholesale pearl business out of the Whitsundays.
For further information on Kazu Pearls :
Takami Kazu
Ph: 07 40691 268
Email: kazupearl@bigpond.com
Queensland Pearling Industry
Serena Sanders
Ph: 0417 987 529