Is there any general concern about the pollution levels in Chinese waters? Will it eventually mean that pearls will be vulnerable, and suffer?

Thanks!

Morna

Hi Morna,

Molluscs are sensitive to many things: red algae tides, strong typhoons, tsunamis, insufficient nutrients, over crowding, water pollution, weak genetics, overuse of hormones, factory chemical runoff....

Yes, they have much water pollution in China. Yes, it is affecting pearl production. China's lakes and ponds will eventually go the way of Japan's. In fact, with global water pollution steadily on the rise, in a fair while, you will be hard pressed to culture freshwater pearls anywhere. Here in Quebec, where we use to have pristine waters, there is a huge scurge of blue green algae choking many lakes in the Eastern Townships around the Montreal area. It's disgusting to see. Every living thing in the lakes affected is suffocating. We never saw it so bad. Experts say it is the runoff from chemical farming fertilizers and pesticides that have entered the water table. And we have goverment controls on the chemicals farmers are using! Then imagine China, where nobody(almost nobody) is regulating chemical use. In fact, the surpluses of the few crappy carcinogenic chemicals we have banned in North America are now "oddly" found in Asia and South America.

So yes, yes, water quality is a major factor in mollusc health.

Slraep

Pollution is a problem everywhere there are Humans. Rivers and lakes are more prone to disastrous pollution problems than the ocean (mainly because of the size and hidrodynamics) but at the present rate of destruction of ecosystems...we might only have a couple more decades of pearl production, then nothing.

Some Pearl Industries (remember that we have the: (1) Farmers, (2) Processors, (3) Jewlers and (4) Retailers, and (5) Middle-men, this is an Industry) are environmentally sensitive, but others are quite the opposite. I heard of a friend that said that noxious dyes were being poured into a river in China...dirty -no longer useful- dyes that were used to artificially color pearls. Eventually these pollutants end up in the ocean and then it becomes no longer a "local" problem, but everyones: pollution does not care about race, language, political standing point nor religion and will affect all of us and the newer generations.

That is one of the reason some of us think that the Jewelry Industry should do its part and clean up it act, and the Fair Trade initiative and protocols are a part of a possible solution.

Remember that if you are not part of the solution, then you are a part of the problem.

God bless you Douglas McLaurin! You definitely seem part of the solution. My kindda guy!

I forgot to mention global warming. For example, since the mid 1990's the temperature of the waters around Australia have risen by 2 degrees. Now this may not seem like anything much to the lay person, but any academic interested in environmental studies knows this is ALARMING. Periculture is very affected.

Slraep

Here is a very recent article in Chinese news about the problem of pearl farming and pollution. Ironically, it is the pearl farming itself that is polluting the water supply!!

http://www.china.org.cn/english/environment/220656.htm

Tomorrow I am actually scheduled to go to Lake Memphremagog in eastern Quebec to speak with a researcher there and take pictures of the algae ridden lake. Hope it pans out. It should be interesting.

Slraep

The Chinese have an incredible attitude towards production. They are basically Policulturists, so they grow all sorts of plants & animals, and employ the "rejected" portions or waste material from one part of a certain process to "feed" or promote growth in another process. This is actually good...but the problem is when you do not respect the environment and force yourself over its capacity to absorb human activities. There are too many pearly mussels in certain areas, you need to increase productivity levels so you fertilize (initially with organics: manure and poultry faeces, but if needed then you use chemicals) the water, but you may cause eutrophycation: the cause of all algae blooms, some being toxic and able of causing severe environmental damage: will kill off plants and animals, decrease oxygen levels, slow water flow...a barrage of problems.

So, basically, your attitude should be: how many animals can I grow without harming my environment? But this world has seen the true question being raised: How much money can I make before I cannot obtain more money??? Greed.

Pearl farming -with the adequate attitude- can be a blessing for the environment, but if greed is the superior motivator then it will be a curse. Chinese rivers, lakes and bays are just full of farms (all varieties, not only pearl farms), as long as your eyesight stretches and then some more, they think that their farm is not a problem BUT a Million farms all togheter are a SERIOUS PROBLEM. The Carrying Capacity of the Environment will not be able to cope with this and IT WILL COLLAPSE.

Originally Posted by Slraep

Here is a very recent article in Chinese news about the problem of pearl farming and pollution. Ironically, it is the pearl farming itself that is polluting the water supply!!

http://www.china.org.cn/english/environment/220656.htm

Tomorrow I am actually scheduled to go to Lake Memphremagog in eastern Quebec to speak with a researcher there and take pictures of the algae ridden lake. Hope it pans out. It should be interesting.

Slraep

Imagine the first neat scenario if you will: ice caps melt...water levels raise...atholls and islands will dissapear along with their pearls.
Second: water levels raise, we will have a new coastline, many pollutants found -right now- only in land-based facilities and our ground will be under water, thus further polluting our oceans. Every single pearl farm in the world will be affected, nobody is truly safe.

Originally Posted by CortezPearls

So, basically, your attitude should be: how many animals can I grow without harming my environment? But this world has seen the true question being raised: How much money can I make before I cannot obtain more money?

Since those animals are grown to make money... I would imagine that the two questions are very closely related, and that one day both could be answered either by policies or self-regulation, or something. Would you think it is necessary / useful to dissociate the two? Which way might work? Taking into account various levels of development blurs these lines for me...

Originally Posted by CortezPearls

Imagine the first neat scenario if you will: ice caps melt...water levels raise...atholls and islands will dissapear along with their pearls.
Second: water levels raise, we will have a new coastline, many pollutants found -right now- only in land-based facilities and our ground will be under water, thus further polluting our oceans. Every single pearl farm in the world will be affected, nobody is truly safe.

Hi Douglas,

That's the real scary part isn't it? The rising water levels. And it will happen much faster than previously predicted. Where I presently live, they say the water will rise by 2 feet. I will have to escape to P.E.Island where my shack there has been built on 4 foot stilts. I'll be safe for a while......hmmm, of course, the island itself will be a lot smaller. Maybe retreating to an island is not the brightest of ideas. I'll have to get a peice of land in Nunavut or Nunavik or somewhere. Greenland!

It's not an imaginary doomsday scenario as many think. It's reality. Pearl farming will be the least of our worries.

Slraep

Coloured Stone Magazine has a recent lengthy article on the environment and pearl farming. Seems we are not the only ones worried.

http://www.tucsonshowguide.com/stori...balwarming.cfm

Hi, Slraep, Douglas, Valeria and every other member!

Highly interesting article about the change in climat and VERY, VERY SCARY!

Here in Sweden we hav many lakes and some years we experience Algae blomming that is catastrophic on life in the lakes. This blue Algae is quite poisonous and chokes the life out of our poor fish and every other living animal in the lakes.

Also we experience the first consequences of the higher temperature in form of floodings and extreme weather storms in Germany, hot weather in Rumania and other countries here in Europe and bad summer weather here in Sweden. Probably the list goes on and on...

Keep up the good work of information to us lay persons so we eventually mitght wake up to the dangers that will overcome us all, not only pearl producers worldwide.

[knotty panda]

Did anyone see the article on MSN this morning about China's lead problem? http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com...FromChina.aspx

Jeremy, you are there in the thick of it. Thoughts, please. Is there media hype to any extent occurring?

Hi Inge,

It saddens me to know that Sweden is experiencing toxic algae bloom too. All of us must strive to make "green" choices everyday and not be taken in by big consumer advertising. Governments are too slpw to implement regulations, especially when there is still opportunity for exploitation to make a buck. Once a lake or pond has become so completely over run by the toxic algae that its other aquatic life dies, nothing can be done to revive it. It is not reversable.

This is what is presently happening in Quebec.

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/st...8-8c2f87176691

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/14082007/...ae-menace.html

And, let us not forget the First Pearly Victim in recorded history: Lake Biwa and the Biwa Pearl.

The Colored Stone article is top notch...had not seen it before, thanks for sharing this link with all of us.

And as Inge has clearly stated: "All of us must strive to make "green" choices everyday and not be taken in by big consumer advertising.". In the case of pearls it is just the same...let me share our "Mexican Experience":

1) We helped to revive an almost extinct population of native Pearl Oyster: the Rainbow Lipped or Pteria sterna.
2) Our farm's total area represent less than 1% of our site's area (just considering our mini-bay (Bacochibampo) and not the entire Ensenada. We always tought we should try and pose as little a threat as possible to our environment.
3) Our pearl farm acts as a breeding station for our native pearl oyster, studies have proven it.
4) Our Pearl Farm protects other species from being fished...fishermen are not allowed into our farm (which doubles as a reef), thus many animals have found a small haven.
5) We do not employ antibiotics during the pearl seeding operation or after it. Thus we don't help to produce stronger bacteria strains.
6) After harvest our pearls are never processed...not a single stinking chemical agent will be dumped into the environment.
7) We clean our environment. We constantly remove all trash we find: be it on the sea-bottom, floating on the water or on the beach.

Of course, our choices have set a path for us...it is an expensive operation, and production will be always limited. These are Chairman Mao's nightmare pearls...Pearls for the Few that can afford them, pearls with a CLEAN conscience.

But this was OUR choice, and our customers have their own choice as well: select CHEAPER alternatives, but they still decide to buy our "green pearls" (they are actully more "Rainbow" colored). If people have the choice, most will choose to do the right thing.

[jshepherd]

Originally Posted by knotty panda

Did anyone see the article on MSN this morning about China's lead problem? http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com...FromChina.aspx

Jeremy, you are there in the thick of it. Thoughts, please. Is there media hype to any extent occurring?

The only time I really hear about this type of thing is in the US. This is where it makes news.

China is quickly becoming a major polluter, but it is important to point out that they have a long way to go to catch up with the #1 polluter. And we all know who that is ...