The Hong Kong-based manufacturer and supplier of shell nuclei Fukui Shell Nucleus Factory recently conducted an akoya-pearl cultivation at the sea located near Sai Kung West Country Park, Hong Kong in April 2014. After a couple of months, Fukui’s project director David Wong talked with Hong Kong Jewellery about the current situation and outlook for local pearl cultivation.
Under the mariculture raft there are around 160 pearl oysters, according to Wong. A few did not survive but the current fertilization rate remains about 95 percent. He expressed: “For many years, Fukui has gained the expertise by conducting pearl cultivation in Xunliao China. With the technique and experience developed there, as well as better water quality in Hong Kong nowadays, we believe that the Hong Kong site would produce quality akoya pearls very soon.” The pearls are expected to be harvested in March 2015. In the current stage, the pearl oysters must be regularly cleaned of the fouling micro-organisms that grow on their shells. Technicians also have to closely monitor different natural phenomena including red tide, heavy rain and high water temperature, ensuring the best environment for pearl cultivation.
In Hong Kong, labour shortage is the most severe obstacle to cultivating pearls. Wong explained: “In our city, there are no professional technicians who know pearl cultivation while we could hire enough in the mainland. Take our cultivation as an example. The cleaning procedure is tentatively conducted by our experienced staff from China. In the long term, we do not want to import labour from the mainland. Instead, we hope to invite pearl experts from Japan who could share their expertise and professional knowledge with us in Hong Kong.”
Despite excellent water quality and no government restriction, no one is willing to risk pearl cultivation in Hong Kong. Wong explained: “Similar to crop production, we have fixed planting seasons, harvest periods and fallow seasons for pearl cultivation. If we follow the business model, income will only be realized during the harvest month. In case of bad harvest, we may face a total investment failure. Therefore, without attractive and secure economic benefits, no one is willing to join the seasonal industry.” In this regard, he suggested promoting eco-tourism which could achieve pearl sustainability and enhance economic efficiency. Education could also be introduced to nurture public’s interests in pearl farming, as well as to recruit people in the long term.
Apart from eco-tourism, the company also plans to approach local accessory and fashion jewellery designers for promoting Hong Kong pearls. He said: “We will not only supply designers with our pearls, but also give professional advice and assistance on branding. We could even provide a platform for retailing their designs, aiming at building Hong Kong-originated pearl brands that may receive international recognition one day.” He emphasized: “Our cultivation is just a momentum for the industry. With its successful debut, we hope to encourage more entities to participate in the cultivation, and to promote the sustainable development of the industry.”
Last, the company started the project with its own Fukui ID nuclei, microchip-embedded pearl nuclei carrying a unique identification number. By using radio frequency identification technology (RFID), the life cycle of the pearls can be easily tracked in a non-destructive way. Wong said to Hong Kong Jewellery: “We have companies from Australia, Japan and China who are cultivating pearls with our Fukui ID nuclei. However, we believe that the first batch of RFID pearls in the world would come from our Hong Kong project, hoping to facilitate the development of the authenticity and tracking of pearls.”
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