| Hi Taylor,
I think that freshwater pearl culture is the most in danger not just because of industrial pollution but also from iffy water management should, or rather as soon as, the Three Gorges Project come about. Contrary to common perception, most Chinese freshwater mussels used in perliculture are extremely sensitive to pollution (one exception is anodonta woodiana) and the marine mussels will quickly follow suit. In Japan it went quite similarly where pollution and private as well as industrial freshwater use and pollution killed off the Lake Biwa operations just after they reached their peak output and quality. And in comparison to China, the Japanese were outright treehuggers at least in terms of environmental protection. Maybe Brazil will take perliculture up from there.
Zeide |