Akoya

While the Australian pearl industry is based on the silverlip pearl oyster Pinctada maxima, there is increasing interest in pearl production from other species. One such species is the akoya pearl oyster, Pinctada imbricata, which is abundant in Australian waters.

In July 1998, researchers at NSW Fisheries, Port Stephens Research Centre began investigations into the possibility of establishing a pearl industry in Port Stephens, an industry based on the Akoya pearl oyster, Pinctada imbricata.

Interest in the possibility of farming Akoya oysters in NSW has been shown for several years. However, extensive surveys of the NSW coast indicated that there were insufficient oysters to permit gathering from the wild. To overcome the shortage of oysters and to commence trial farming, NSW Fisheries signed a memorandum of understanding with a pearl farming company ‘Australian Radiata’, who have a wealth of farming experience in both Australia and Japan.

Port Stephens, 200 km north of Sydney, was chosen for farming because it is among the best waterways in Australia for temperate shellfish farming owing to its fortunate combination of a suitable temperature range, lack of pollution, and expanse of sheltered, well-flushed and relatively deep waters. Further, Port Stephens offered the facilities of NSW Fisheries, Port Stephens Research Centre, with its extensive experience in the production of new aquaculture species.

Together, scientists from NSW Fisheries and representatives of Australian Radiata devised a research program with three major goals: first, to elucidate the biology of the Akoya oyster in NSW, focusing in particular on species distribution, growth rates in NSW estuaries and reproductive biology; second, to establish techniques for reliable hatchery production of spat in NSW to preclude the need for collecting oysters from the wild; finally, to construct experimental farms in Port Stephens so that the viability of farming can be tested and any potential environmental impacts can be assessed.

Within a year of the programme's inception, work is well under way. Four experimental leases with a total area of 28 ha have been obtained to allow farming in different areas of Port Stephens. Oysters have been deployed at these sites so that growth and survival can be monitored. Sampling to follow growth and reproduction in the wild Akoya population has been underway for 11 months and settlement collectors have been deployed in order that natural recruitment can be followed. In the hatchery, oysters have been brought into reproductive condition and induced to spawn. More than 2.5 million spat have been produced, enabling farming trials to begin.

NSW Fisheries is currently assessing the suitability of a number of sites for the culture of the Akoya pearl oysters. The Akoya pearl oyster is found in temperate climates and forms the basis of the pearling industry in Japan. Trial pearl harvests in Port Stephens have demonstrated that quality pearls can be produced in New South Wales.

As the exclusive agent of Akoya producer Australian Radiata Pty Ltd in New South Wales in Australia, Teishin unveiled Australia Akoya pearls to the market under the brand "Pristine Pearl" in March this year. The majority are 7mm and the largest are 10mm, and they are mainly made into graduated necklaces. Since production is at the trial stage and remains small, the pearls are sold only at the company's Contessa-Mia showroom in Kobe, but it is starting to promote the product overseas, executive director at Teishin, Yoshiaki Kita, said