| Hello Jones,
Yes! you can evaluate both positive and negative impacts...but it is tricky and you have to focus on exactly what you want to measure or contrast. Select just a couple of things to measure...as we did when we began our "Perlas de Guaymas" project back in 1991.
1) Pearl Oyster census (wildstock) on certain areas...islands are good for this. Include the amount of oysters per square meter, their size, etc.
2) Some species are associated with Pearl Oysters (corals, pearl fish), use these as well.
3) Rig up spat collectors and have an annual collecting run BEFORE installing a Pearl farm. The continue measuring as you install the farm.
In our case the Results were astounding... pearl bed recovery, spat collection up from 32 (average) spats per collector to 600 spats per collector (we are now up to 4,000 spats/sq.meter). Also, fishermen now avoid the farm, meaning salvation for dozens of commercial species: snails, fish, crustaceans, etc... Pearl Culture CAN help the environment...if done properly.
Enrique Arizmendi published some information about this in the Pearl Oyster Information Bulletin, May 1998, number 11.
regards,
__________________
Douglas McLaurin, M.Sc. Aquaculture
Perlas del Mar de Cortez
Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico
perlas.com.mx
The Pearl is a Harsh Mistress...and I am its Humble Servant |