Pacific Northwest Canadian pearls

[Powers]

Hello all. I am an aquaculture farmer on the pacific cost of Canada. I primarily grow a hybrid of blue/mediterranean mussels but also have access to scallops and oysters all for the food industry. Im interested in running some experiments and setting up a raft of nucleated mussels. I would love to hear some feedback on the viability this project. And would be grateful for any resources that I could begin my research with.

 

[Marianne]

You are in luck. One of our members, Lagoon Island Pearls, is an expert in this area. I'm sure he will give valuable input when he sees your post.

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

Hello all. I am an aquaculture farmer on the pacific cost of Canada. I primarily grow a hybrid of blue/mediterranean mussels but also have access to scallops and oysters all for the food industry. Im interested in running some experiments and setting up a raft of nucleated mussels. I would love to hear some feedback on the viability this project. And would be grateful for any resources that I could begin my research with.

Where are you located? Saltspring Island?

 

[Powers]

Cortes Island

 

[SteveM]

Cortes Island

Which is the correct spelling (Hernán Cortés), although SOC pearls would still be SOC pearls.

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

Cortes Island

Which I gather is an operation of Saltspring Island Mussels?

 

[Powers]

Which I gather is an operation of Saltspring Island Mussels?

Yeah! Our hatchery is down there.

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

I would love to hear some feedback on the viability this project. And would be grateful for any resources that I could begin my research with.

Viability is an abstract concept in the absence of a method and prototype. I've abandoned methods for lack of viability, but over time market conditions and demands change, thus revisiting a method is a thing. New technologies may be co-opted, hence straining viabilities.

That said, what methods have you considered? Pearl farming is a highly nuanced operation, even between farmers within the same regions. I get requests occasionally for information, but often dismiss them as fishing expeditions for freeloading technology. However in your situation, I respect you're operating a hatchery and have licences of occupation on crown land for aquaculture production. That's a good place to start, so I'll gladly entertain your intentions, for a time. Am I correct to presume you have in-house management biologists, including yourself?

It's often said there's a thousand decisions in every pearl. Broadly, the industry is highly protectionist with little technical interaction discussed between groups. Most technicians are bound by NDA's and some by anti-competition agreements. Unlike many other industries, most manufacturing, marketing and sales or government entities contribute woefully little to research and development.

Feasibility is something to be considered before a method is selected. I have so many questions, but will note some.

Marine engineering is a major thing, but again I'm confident in your experience as a hatchery and grow out operation. However when it comes to methods, the learning curves are steep, even for biologists with doctorates. So let's start with your immediate needs.

Mytilus sp. is a reasonable target and probably your best bet at this stage. They are highly nacreous, easy to rear and generally low maintenance.

Both M. edulis et galloprovinciallis are small creatures as opposed to M. californianus. Is a hybrid convenient, mandatory or optional?

Forget ostrea... entirely. Also pectindae or gastropods, but only for now.

What do you need in this moment? A consultant, a technician or a mentor? The formers require contracts while the latter an incentive (in the least).

 

[Powers]

Well the truth is that I'm in operations for the mussel farm. I believe we have biologists at the hatchery that I could get in contact with.
If I were to start a pearl farm. This would be a separate venture. I have the opportunity to join a shelfish co-op and I would like to try my hand at producing pearls.
I'm guess I would be looking for mentorship. Im looking for some guidance on where to begin my research and get a better understanding of the hurdles and challenges I would be facing.
Over the years I understand we've grown a variety of mussels but currently we have gallos and edulis. The availability of fully grown stock seems to me a major asset but growing other varietys doesn't seem impossible.

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

I'm in operations for the mussel farm. I believe we have biologists at the hatchery that I could get in contact with.
I would be looking for mentorship. Im looking for some guidance on where to begin my research and get a better understanding of the hurdles and challenges I would be facing.

You are currently hands on with shellfish, that's a good start.

I'm not a degree biologist either, insomuch as an erudite having knowledge that is known by very few people. Most of the papers I've read had little or nothing to do with pearl culture, insomuch as how shells are formed. I started with Invertebrate Zoology by Robert Barnes, after all, there was no internet when I began working with pearls. At the very least, learned the terminologies so I could get directly to the point of my questions with others. A clam is a clam is a clam, irrespective of it's hemisphere of origin. While there may notable differences, the general processes are the same.

The first pearls were cultured in China during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish biologist and physician formalized binomial nomenclature, the system of naming organisms aka modern taxonomy. He grew pearls using shell beads attached to silver wires. Both methods similar to extrapallial "mabe" pearls in modern aquaculture.

It was William Saville-Kent who pioneered the homogeneic epithelial trans-graft as we know it today while he was Commissioner of Fisheries for Western Australia. During this time he experimented with culturing pearls on Thursday Island. His experiments were successful and modern-day spherical cultured pearls are primarily the result of discoveries he made. These discoveries were later co-opted and patented by Dr. Tokichi Nishikawa and Tatsuhei Mise of Japan. To this day the Nishikawa/Mise method is used by most saltwater pearl farms in their operations.

I began grafting pearls in Canada in 1986, using a non-bead nuclear variation of the method. At the same time, 20 miles south of my farm at Lagoon Island in Grappler Cove, near Bamfield, Dr. Peter Fankboner induced pearls in abalone using a process patented as the "American Method".

Pearls as gemstones was a hard nut to crack, given the level of competition from Japan, South Sea and Oceania pearls, then later China. Instead, shifted to bio-medical research, environmental/climate studies and public health and safety practices.

I'm retired, but still go pearling from time to time. I run claims and crews on other gemstone mining operations in BC and contribute to molluscan fossil pearl research for the Royal Tyrell Museum in Drumheller, AB. Needless to say I have my hands full, so to come out of or offset retirement any project would have to be lucrative enough to do so. That's not to suggest I'm not approachable, but merely not dependable on demand.

If you're serious in your intentions, start with that. Cross the grafting bridge when you get there. When you get to that point, I can help you.

Meanwhile, take the Pearls As One course available here. It's free and will help you with a lot of the identification and market aspects of pearl culture.

 

[jshepherd]

Meanwhile, take the Pearls As One course available here. It's free and will help you with a lot of the identification and market aspects of pearl culture.

The course is $599 without a sponsor code, so use discount code PP10951 and you'll be able to access it for free.

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

you'll be able to access it for free.

Thank you for this and others who contributed. The course gives a proper insight to the origin of cultured pearls.

 

[Powers]

You are currently hands on with shellfish, that's a good start.

I'm not a degree biologist either, insomuch as an erudite having knowledge that is known by very few people. Most of the papers I've read had little or nothing to do with pearl culture, insomuch as how shells are formed. I started with Invertebrate Zoology by Robert Barnes, after all, there was no internet when I began working with pearls. At the very least, learned the terminologies so I could get directly to the point of my questions with others. A clam is a clam is a clam, irrespective of it's hemisphere of origin. While there may notable differences, the general processes are the same.

The first pearls were cultured in China during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish biologist and physician formalized binomial nomenclature, the system of naming organisms aka modern taxonomy. He grew pearls using shell beads attached to silver wires. Both methods similar to extrapallial "mabe" pearls in modern aquaculture.

It was William Saville-Kent who pioneered the homogeneic epithelial trans-graft as we know it today while he was Commissioner of Fisheries for Western Australia. During this time he experimented with culturing pearls on Thursday Island. His experiments were successful and modern-day spherical cultured pearls are primarily the result of discoveries he made. These discoveries were later co-opted and patented by Dr. Tokichi Nishikawa and Tatsuhei Mise of Japan. To this day the Nishikawa/Mise method is used by most saltwater pearl farms in their operations.

I began grafting pearls in Canada in 1986, using a non-bead nuclear variation of the method. At the same time, 20 miles south of my farm at Lagoon Island in Grappler Cove, near Bamfield, Dr. Peter Fankboner induced pearls in abalone using a process patented as the "American Method".

Pearls as gemstones was a hard nut to crack, given the level of competition from Japan, South Sea and Oceania pearls, then later China. Instead, shifted to bio-medical research, environmental/climate studies and public health and safety practices.

I'm retired, but still go pearling from time to time. I run claims and crews on other gemstone mining operations in BC and contribute to molluscan fossil pearl research for the Royal Tyrell Museum in Drumheller, AB. Needless to say I have my hands full, so to come out of or offset retirement any project would have to be lucrative enough to do so. That's not to suggest I'm not approachable, but merely not dependable on demand.

If you're serious in your intentions, start with that. Cross the grafting bridge when you get there. When you get to that point, I can help you.

Meanwhile, take the Pearls As One course available here. It's free and will help you with a lot of the identification and market aspects of pearl culture.

Thank you so much for your insight Dave! It's a real pleasure to make you acquaintance. You've given me a lot to think about. I'll definitely be going through that course and brushing up on as much I can of the other resources you mentioned.
Wow im shocked to learn of a resident expert and farm so close to home! I would love to come see your farm if it was of interest and convenient for you. In the meantime it seems like I've got some homework to do. Thanks again!