Pearl farming in the Maldives?

[KauaiAnne]

Does anyone know if pearl farming was ever attempted in the Maldive Islands? I was there last week and marveled at all the atolls, lagoons and and beautiful turquoise water. I asked a few people who knew about the economic development of the Maldives and they were not aware of any pearling attempts. I just seemed to me that the geography might accommodate pearl farming. Anyone know anything?

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I checked Strack-- on page 160, there is this:

"Banks of Pinctada radiata stretch from the historical sites in South India to the Maldives, where pearl fishing has only taken place to a limited extent."

So, pearl fishing, but nothing about pearl farming.

 

[pattye]

Sounds like you had an amazing vacation, KauaiAnne!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Any photos to share?

 

[KauaiAnne]

It was a bit of a working vacation as I was mostly in Male, the capital. But here's a photo of some of those lovely waters.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Lovely! Turning it around...

 

[Katbran]

Beautiful !!!

 

[CortezPearls]

Hey KauaiAnne I just found your post from last year...and it tickled my interest.
Ceylon in India is "close-by" and was once a famous pearling ground, but I started looking into my books and I have not found any information on pearls in the Maldives. Could be because of its environment...more "coral reef based" and not a good spot for the "Lingah" pearl oyster (the local "Akoya"). The Pinctada imbricata(=fucata) oysters prefer seagrasses and a combination of rocky-sandy bottoms.
Seawater currents could make it difficult for the species too.
I could not find any information except for a tiny reference for Pteria penguin as a potential site for its culture. Sorry