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

 

[Mamduh Waheed]

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?

I’m not sure it has not been tried but not aware of it

 

[Pearling Technologies]

Yes there was a small farm created in the late 90’s and operational until at least 2010. The group identified both Petria Penguin and Pinctada Margaritifera, starting with providing jewellery using MOP and gradually building from there. The thought was to build a ‘cooperative model’ whereby families or small groups would catch/grow out spat and provide to the ‘farms’ at a fee. I remember reviewing a business plan and feasibility plan on the project.