Looking for pearl farm for internship

[Jones]

Dear fellow pearl enthusiasts,

We are three students from Wageningen University (The Netherlands). Peter van der Werf has specialized himself in environmental system analysis, Raoul van Beek is a specialist in nature conservation policy and related social structures and Jonah van Beijnen has specialized himself in tropical ecology and conservation in the tropics. Besides our background in nature conservation we do have a keen interest in pearl farming.

We are looking for a company which can serve as a basis for our field research. We hope you are willing to help us to find a pearl farm that is interested in our research plans or give us any suggestions to improve our research proposal.

The proposed project will form the main internship for our masters of science degree. The objective of our research is to analyze which environmental aspects suffer negative consequences due to pearl aquaculture by conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Secondly we will try to bring up innovative technologies which reduce the negative consequences for the coastal environment. Thirdly we try to analyze in what way the benefits for local stakeholders can be enlarged (livelihood improvement).
Last, this project can provide knowledge which can function as a base for further research into local development of pearl farms.

Yours sincerely,


Jones van Beijnen
Raoul van Beek
Peter van der Werf

 

[jshepherd]

It would be much easier for you to research the positive aspects of pearliculture.

I suggest contacting Mr. Paul Cross of Island Pearls (you can google him). He provides materials to pearl farms around the world, and would probably know which farms may be interested in your work.

 

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Jones,

You probably have an Indonesian Chamber of Commerce representation somewhere where you live and it is probably a good idea to inquire there. Since the Indonesian pearl industry is still in its development stage, you are more likely to find corresponding internships there than in more developed ventures that are likely to prefer keeping their operations as tightly protected against industrial espionage as possible.

You may also contact the University of Jakarta for already ongoing academic projects in this field that may suit your needs. This route will also greatly help with funding, accommodations, health insurance etc.. Ricardo Cunha from the University of Sao Paulo may also be interested in some studies of this sort concerning his pearl farm project in Brazil.

Zeide

 

[purepearls]

Your research sounds very exciting! I do agree with Jeremy. You may want to study the positive versus negative to see which outweigh the other. Pearliculture has had many positive effects on the environment so it may be best to focus on both sides. Since you are interested in nature conversation, I think your research proposal will be more successful and well-rounded by delving into all aspects of pearliculture and its effects on the environment, both positive and negative.

I think your efforts are very commendable and I wish you the best of luck with your studies!

 

[Jones]

Thank you for the valuable comments, we have to admit that the exterior of our proposal was too much focused on constraints rather then on numerous positive effects. We hope that, now we have highlighted the positive effects of pearl farming in our proposal, we have created a more attractive research proposal for the pearl farms. Hopefully this gives us more luck in finding a pearl farm.

Secondly we are really curious what you as pearling specialists think about the importance of environmental aspects of pearl farming? Can environmental improvements be valued accordingly? And is this valuation being interpreted similarly by both industry and customers?

We are looking forward to your answers.

Jones, Raoul & Peter

 

[perlas]

Hi Jones,

This case maybe a beneficial reference for you.

About 2 years ago, Jewelmer had a local issue regarding blocking the passage of a channel and the fishing grounds of the Indigenous people of Southern Palawan.

Attached are the links. The first one shows the perspective of the firshermen while the second link was Jewelmer's response to the issue.

http://beta.inq7.net/opinion/index.php?index=2&story_id=15569&col=82

http://beta.inq7.net/opinion/index.php?index=2&story_id=17005&col=82

 

[CortezPearls]

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,

 

[Jones]

no luck

no luck

Dear all,

To keep you updated, it seemed impossible to arrange an internship about impacts of pearlfarming. After months of researching to create a good proposal I think I got struck by the pearlvirus . Now that I am hooked I like to learn more.

Will be heading for Thailand soon to work on another subject concerning biodiversity conservation. Are there some touristic pearl farms in that region which I can visit?

jones

 

[MABE BRAZIL]

Hi, Jones
here in Brazil we are starting a freshwater pearl culture. But as our species are very threatened the first step will be reproduce them artifficially. A portion of juvenile will be use to reallocation in the rivers and another portion will be use to pearl culture. I think we could talk. Feel free to contact me by email occunhalima@gmail.com.

Regards

Ricardo Cunha Lima

 

[tacy_cc]

go for brazil

go for brazil

Hi,

It might be a bit difficult to get an internship with a pearl farm since pearl farm people will tend to be suspicious regarding security risks to their products or yourselves (physical security) as well as unwanted technology transfers. It's a very high value industry and it would probably be easier if you intern at a start-up farm such as the one in brazil. You might also consider contacting the bureau of fisheries and aquatic resources in your country of choice since they would have a lot of data you might need. The only risk there is that you won't get an objective picture especially since in the 3rd world, I'm ashamed to say, the people in seats of government tend to have their own interests in the development and marketing of upstart pearl famrs and they are going to bash and say the nastiest things about the big pearl farms(sharing from personal experience). IN fact, I was trying to source pearls from this local pearl farm down south and the bureau lady asked if i had $1million to invest and if not, we had nothing to talk about. She bashed the government about not supporting the pearl industry and said that she was helping the industry in her personal capacity (yeah right) which translated means that she wants to control all pearls sold by the upstart pearl farm(choking the pearl farmer's output if she doesn't get a cut i guess) and since she also controls the permits to export, she is squeezing the exporters unless she gets a cut, plus she won't share information unless she gets anything out of the whole endeavor. Aya yay yay yay!!!!!!! So much corruption down here, it's crazy. The Bureau people are going to squeeze the life out of you if you let them, so go at it slowly. You will be met with a lot of suspicion and false help. THey will of course exaggerate any environmental effects depending on the favours that pearl farms give them.
Once again, the brazilian guy seems very open and honest to help you guys so go for it.