TONGA TRIES ITS HAND AT GROWING PEARLS Submitted by admin on Fri, 05/30/2008 - 00:00
Aussie consultants help set up hatchery
NUKUALOFA, Tonga (Radio Tonga News, May 29, 2008) - The Ministry of Fisheries is getting help to develop Tonga s natural resources, mainly oysters.
A hatchery production program for pearls is underway, focusing on the Terrier Penguin species, which is used to make the half pearl.
Two consultants from Australia are in the Kingdom under the Hatchery production program which is sponsored by ACR - The Australian Center for International Agricultural Research, in collaboration with James Cook University and Tonga s Ministry of Fisheries.
One of the consultants, Andrew Beer says fishermen and farmers are collecting wild babies using spack collectors for the pearl farm, but this is made difficult by the inconsistent supply.