The pearl industry in Micronesia could become a major source of export revenue once fully developed. In French Polynesia, the export of cultured black pearls generated more than USD 100 million in 1999, inspiring other oceanic nations such as the Cook Islands to follow suit.

Micronesian countries, however, still lag behind their South Pacific neighbors, mainly because their natural environments do not provide enough oysters to supply farms on a regular basis.

A Project to Address the Shortage of Spat

In 2001, the College of Micronesia (COM) launched a project to develop a technique for producing pearl oyster spat and compensate for this shortage. The project, entitled “Development of Pearl Aquaculture and Expertise in Micronesia,” was funded by the USDA and the Office of Insular Affairs of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The project has two main objectives:

• Develop the pearl industry in Micronesia.
• Train local human resources capable of sustaining this activity.

Phase 1: Hatchery Setup and Training

The first phase (Q1 2001 – Q4 2002) made it possible to:

• Recruit an Australian expert in hatchery pearl oyster farming techniques.
• Install a hatchery in a former warehouse at Nett Point, Pohnpei.
• Successfully carry out the first hatchery and ocean grow-out trials, producing tens of thousands of spat that are now in the grow-out phase at two demonstration farms.

Three Micronesian technicians were trained and are now able to pass on their know-how to more than 40 trainees from local communities, schools, and universities.

Phase 2: Towards Pearl Production

The second phase, launched in 2003, consists of technical evaluations and demonstrations aimed at preparing for pearl production and industry management.

The main components include:

• Expanding training in hatchery and grow-out techniques, passing knowledge on to a second generation of technicians.
• Conducting pearl production trials and evaluating grafting techniques.
• Establishing management models for the pearl industry in collaboration with regional institutions and public authorities.