Australian akoyas

[effisk]

I don't have any more answers at this stage.

I find very surprising that the recent article Zeide pointed out in the opening message of the thread presents the Hervey Bay venture like a success, while he just say it's a failure.

I have written an email to a scientist who's worked on that project. We'll see if he replies.

effisk, detective-reporter for PG forums

 

[National Pearl]

austrailian Akoya

austrailian Akoya

Effisk,

Great job! Thanks for getting the scoop!! It will be interesting to see how these pearls influence the greater pearl market.

 

[marikita]

Hi Effisk,

I was wondering how you got the contact details of this company?

Also, where are you based?

I don't know a whole lot about pearls, but have started a small business designing strands of CFWPs and semi-precious stones. I'm feeling a little swamped with all the info available on the site here, and a little confused as to the differences/similarities (particularly with terminology) in a few instances.

Aside from all of that, I was thinking of how interesting it would be if I could use Australian-grown pearls (since I'm based in Queensland, Australia) in my designs, and whether it would be worth pursuing this product in particular?

What do you think?

(Also, if so, how do I get onto these people?)

Thanks!

Marikita

 

[effisk]

Hi Marikita,

I found an email address on the contact page of the Port Stephens Pearls website: http://www.portstephenspearls.com.au/default.aspx?id=10
That's how I contacted them.

I am based in Paris, but have been living in Brisbane and Melbourne. I moved back to France a couple of years ago.
Funnily enough, it's in Brisbane I have bought pearls for the first time. Cheap Chinese potato pearl station necklaces at the south bank and riverside markets.

I am not sure where you can buy these Australian pearls, I believe the best way is to get in touch with PSP. There are a couple of jewelers in Sydney that sell Australian "akoya" pearls, you will find them on the PSP website.

These pearls are probably much more expensive than freshwater pearls, as PSP probably aligned their prices on the Japanese akoya market.

The major advantage would be a 100% Australian made jewel (not taking the Japanese grafter into account ), the major disadvantage would be a (much) higher price.

I haven't seen enough of these pearls to tell what their luster is compared to the freshwater.

 

[KAC]

We just got a very interesting email from a former employee of the company. I can't verify any of the information provided but it is very interesting none the less:

have just read about the article on Australian akoya with interest. I worked for Port Stephens Pearls in NSW and can answer alot of questions your forum asked. The species is Pinctada fucata and has been genetically identified as this species by JCU.

The reply from Port Stephens Pearls is interesting as working in the company I saw what was produced. The pearls are small, up to 7 mm and average nacre and due to the long winter when water temperatures are low for 5 months the oysters go into sleep mode so this reflects in small pearls from small shell, average shell is 35 grams at 2 years. Implanting is done using two beads.

The business looks good from the web site but the two Japanese owners who live in Japan want out as the sites have big problems with visual and environmental issues and making no money. The main site is 30 hectares and is in front of a bay 200 metres from multi million dollar houses so public opposition is still very strong especially when the company is foreign owned and only employs japanese staff and cheap japanese backpackers.

Port Stephens Pearls was stopped from producing for the last 3 years due to Government concerns from the public amenity and this year have seeded 100.000 4 - 5 year old shell so this will produce poor pearls as they have finished growing. This company has given aquaculture in Port Stephens a bad public rap and most people are against the japanese carrying on and may be they will be closed down again soon. Management of pearl farms by japanese in Australia has always proven to be poor and seeders are the only real asset to the industry as the culture difference and work effort is so different and japanese always do things the same way without looking at new ways to do things better or grow shell to Austrlain conditions, not like in Japan.

As for Coral Sea pearls I have not been to the site but saw on TV and looks to be a good position and I have heard from JCU that the shell grows up to 100 grams in 2 years and they can seed with single large nucleii so sounds exciting. Also this species is fucata. I wonder if Port Stephens Pearls got kicked out form the site especially if they worked the same way as in NSW. One of the directors from Port Stephens Pearls did have a maxima farm in North Queensland but they gave up at the site and left in a huge mess which Australians had to clean up.
I hope this answers some of your viewers questions, PSP is a joke.

 

[marikita]

Thanks Effisk,

I understand they'd be more expensive, but I can see that it would be a great selling point, especially since awareness about buying Australian Made has picked up quite a bit recently. I wouldn't base ALL of my product on this, but it would definately make a great range to differentiate myself from other businesses.

Has anyone found the contact details of 'Coral Sea Pearls'? I tried in the white pages, and came up with something that sounded like it could be them, but I'm not entirely sure, and wanted to see if anyone had a better source?

Cheers,

Marikita

 

[effisk]

We just got a very interesting email from a former employee of the company. I can't verify any of the information provided but it is very interesting none the less:

I am not surprized by this.

I look forward to hearing from that scientist I mentioned earlier. He might add his own version of the story.

 

[KAC]

I'm not sure what you mean Effisk? I have no reason to believe the information they provided isn't correct - although like I said i have no way of verifying it.

I would see PSP stretching the truth before an ex-employee who has nothing to gain - but who knows. The answers to the questions you asked do seem to read a bit like a brochure and more then a bit vague.

 

[effisk]

I was just chatting with Jeremy about this a few minutes ago.

I exchanged emails back and forth with the person who answered my questions. The way he answered to them, and the info I got from other sources make me think the truth lies in between the two versions.

 

[KAC]

the info I got from other sources make me think the truth lies in between the two versions.

That is often the case, I have encouraged our "informant" to come and join the message board, so we'll see if he's up to it.

 

[effisk]

Has anyone found the contact details of 'Coral Sea Pearls'? I tried in the white pages, and came up with something that sounded like it could be them, but I'm not entirely sure, and wanted to see if anyone had a better source?

DAVE WILLIAMS, CORAL SEA PEARLS - HERVEY BAY
0405 169 308

 

[marikita]

DAVE WILLIAMS, CORAL SEA PEARLS - HERVEY BAY
0405 169 308

Gosh you're good, Effisk.

I've been searching for it for a while now. Where did you find that?!

Do you know if they have other contact details or a website or something? I was hoping to do a little more research before contacting them.

Thank you so much!

Marikita

 

[effisk]

Hi Marikita

I've been searching for it for a while now. Where did you find that?!

It was in one of the links I gave earlier in this thread.

Do you know if they have other contact details or a website or something? I was hoping to do a little more research before contacting them.

I mainly do my research on the internet, and there isn't much information about CSP online. I don't know much more about them than what's on this discussion here.

I'm preparing a series of "email interviews" of several players of the industry for my news website, P?cheur de Perles. I started with PSP which I thought was an interesting subject. Given the results, I think "cross interviews" with various points of view would be appropriate. If you happen to call Mr Williams, please ask him if he has an email address. I would love to get in touch with him.

 

[steve oconnor]

Port Stephens Pearls

Port Stephens Pearls

We just got a very interesting email from a former employee of the company. I can't verify any of the information provided but it is very interesting none the less:

Enclosed is a press release about public acceptance of the japanese pearl farm so from what Damien said about devils giving the company opposition there must alot living in Port Stephens.

Residents take shine off pearl farm plan
Port Stephens residents have voted overwhelmingly to reject a new proposal for a multi-million dollar pearl farm off the New South Wales central coast.

Port Stephens Pearls, a subsidiary of Australian Radiata, which had a larger proposal rejected in 2002, has submitted a development application for a 30 hectare farm.

More than 500 people turned out for yesterday's meeting, which was called by local environment group Port Watch.

Bob Westbury from Port Stephens Tourism says while both sides of the proposal were presented at yesterday's meeting, more than 480 people voted against it.

"By next Friday... it is the end of the submission period...we had to have this meeting this weekend so we could get people to do their submissions and see what the community feeling was - anyway we wanted to give it a democratic opportunity," he said.

"We allowed the chief executive officer of Port Stephens Pearls to speak for 10 minutes and justice has been portrayed to the Minister and I believe he will make a decision in the right direction and give no consent."

The system the japs use for growout is not the normal longline system but is about 4 times more expensive to operate as normal surface lines.
The panels and equipment is suspended 4 metres below the surface to stop any visual pollution with floats for the residents who look out at the farm site. The fouling is bad and alot of mud, silt loading so finding lines is difficult and a large grapple is used to find the submerged line and then is lifted up onto the cleaning boat. When I worked for the company we could not clean for 5 months due to issues visual with cleaning and leaving a big sediment slick and all the shell ended up sitting on the bottom. I dont know what this Damien is selling or does but all equipment is brought in from Japan.
Dont have to much information on the fellow in Queensland but sounds like big shell so better than PSP. As I said the japs want out and loss of face is a big thing in japan so they will keep going until someone is silly enough to buy or they will run out of money, the japanese investors say they have spent 7 million dollars on investment and still no return, growing small akoya in competition with China the future is bleak for them.

 

[KAC]

Thanks for jumping in Steve, very interesting!

As someone that grew up in the pacific northwest I know the battle that goes on between aquaculture, the public and special interest groups - rarely is the full truth told by either side.

 

[purepearls]

When you're dealing with anything political like this, no matter what it is, you can bet that the information you've received has another side to that story! Often, neither side is quite on target with what is really happening.

 

[KAC]

the difference being that Steve is neither an employee of the company or part of the opposition.

 

[purepearls]

I wasn't talking about Steve's comments. I was talking about the quote:

I know the battle that goes on between aquaculture, the public and special interest groups - rarely is the full truth told by either side.

and more specifically special interest groups versus aquaculture.

 

[Damian]

Taxonomy

Taxonomy

Hi

I've just joined this forum after contact by Jeremy. To help clarify the taxonomy issue on Pinctada imbricata (formerly known in Australia as P. radiata) which our company is culturing, I offer the following:
"Samples of Akoya have been collected as far south as Mallacoota in Victoria and the species distribution extends throughout NSW and around our northern coastline to Shark Bay in Western Australia (O?Connor et al., 2003). Specimens of the Pinctada imbricata complex from three Australian east coast sites (tip of Cape York; Cairns; Moreton Bay and Long reef, NSW) have been subjected to genetic analysis (allozyme electrophoresis) and the results compared with those for P. imbricata in Japan. These comparisons identified the presence of two pearl oyster species in NSW, one of which, P. imbricata, was confirmed to be conspecific with the species cultured in Japan (Colgan and Ponder, 2002)."

The work was done by the Australian Museum, commissioned by our company during the 1990's.

Damian

 

[Damian]

Response to Steve O'Connor comments

Response to Steve O'Connor comments

Steve O'Connor was dismissed from our company in 2002. We strongly reject the derogatory and misleading statements made below by Steve. We are now seeking legal advice regarding the comments he has made in this forum.

Damian