RESOLAG mission to Mangareva: feasibility study for the reseeding of spawning nacres

This trip was also an opportunity to present the results of a study conducted with the IRD and IFREMER on the currents and the wild stock of pearl oysters in the Gambier, to better understand the physical mechanisms linked to the collection. Thanks to this research, we were able to observe the weakness of the wild stock, with an estimated total stock of only 400,000 pearl oysters.

At the same time, the management committee has alerted the DRM to two consecutive years of poor collection results and is concerned about their supply of pearls for 2023.

To remedy this problem, the team was keen to meet with the pearl farmers to explain these alarming results, and to propose that they jointly find solutions. Among the proposals, the release of pearl fish each year in specific locations by the pearl farmers could help rebuild the lagoon's broodstock.

A real awareness on the part of the pearl farmers present at the meeting was noted, but a collective awareness is now necessary so that the professionals are actors in the management of their resource. Some of them volunteered to take part in the reseeding and restocking of pearls, on a regular basis after each harvest.

The DRM team therefore developed a reseeding methodology with the help of young local pearl farmers, identifying the most suitable areas for placing nacre in the natural environment. Several pearl farmers provided nacre and accompanied the team to learn the techniques that will allow them to continue the project independently, hoping to increase the stocks quickly. Monitoring of the number of nacres released each year and monitoring of collection data would be necessary to track the situation.

Text from DRM - more information: DRM on 40 50 25 50 | [email protected] | [email protected] - Site web de la DRM 

Copyright photo : Yann Follin