Where are wild pearl oysters found and how are they cultivated?
Wild pearl oysters are collected by divers in waters off the Western Australian coast between Cape Leveque and Exmouth. The main fishing grounds are around Eighty Mile Beach near Broome. The oysters are seeded on the fishing grounds, using large vessels holding shells in tanks. The oysters are then allowed to recover from the seeding operation for several months, on the ocean floor in net panels. They are then carefully transported to sheltered waters of the pearl farms, where the pearls are ‘grown-out’. The net panels of seeded pearl oysters are suspended on a floating line system from the surface of the sea on pearl farms. The oysters remain in the panels for up to two years as the pearls grow. During this time, the oysters (which are bivalves) feed by extracting nutrients from the water column. Unlike other forms of aquaculture, no artificial feeds or chemicals are required. The panels and lines are regularly cleaned to remove algal growth.
