A. Species
Scientific name: Pinctada maxima
Common name(s): Australian silver-lipped pearl oyster
Global IUCN Red List Threat Status:
B. Location of use
Geographic location(s):
- Western Australia
Country/Region: Australia
C. Scale of assessment
Scale of assessment: Sub-national / Sub-region / Sub-State
Name/Details of location: Western Australia
D. Timescale of use
Start Year: 1990
End Year: 2015
E. Information about the use
How is the wild species sourced?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat and Wild species sourced from the wild but reared/cultivated in a managed site
Type of use: Extractive
Practice of use: Targeted fishing harvesting/exploiting or collecting wild aquatic resources
Lethal or non-lethal: Lethal
Does this use involve take/extraction of: Only parts or products of the organism
Purpose(s) of end use: Food and feed and Decorative and aesthetic
Motivation of use: Basic subsistence, Income generation from trade (individual/household/community) and Largescale commercial exploitation for trade
Is this use legal or illegal?: Legal under national law
F. Information about the Users
Which stakeholder(s) does the record primarily focus on?: Local people and National / local private sector
G. Information about the sustainability of use
Is there evidence that the use is having an impact on the target species?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat and Wild species sourced from the wild but reared/cultivated in a managed site
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an ecological perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: Western Australian Marine Stewardship Council Report Assessment
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Population stable despite harvesting
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: This study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Although currently considered sustainable, according to the risk assessments in this report, the biggest risks associated with the pearl industry in Western Australia are to the economic sustainability of the fishing industry: • Competition between licences holders and companies within the industry is one of the main drivers of industry activities and innovation. • The majority of licences holders are reliant on this industry for the majority of their income and employment. • In years when market demand has been severely reduced (e.g. during the global financial crisis), the industry reduced fishing activities, using less boats with only the best divers to collect pearl oysters. This resulted in unemployment for a number of skippers and pearl oyster divers, who are usually reliant on the industry for their income.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a social perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: This study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Although currently considered sustainable, according to the risk assessments in this report, the biggest risks associated with the pearl industry in Western Australia are to the economic sustainability of the fishing industry: • Competition between licences holders and companies within the industry is one of the main drivers of industry activities and innovation. • The majority of licences holders are reliant on this industry for the majority of their income and employment. • In years when market demand has been severely reduced (e.g. during the global financial crisis), the industry reduced fishing activities, using less boats with only the best divers to collect pearl oysters. This resulted in unemployment for a number of skippers and pearl oyster divers, who are usually reliant on the industry for their income.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a human health perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an animal health/welfare perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species
possibly diversification; best practice farming. Authors state: "However, whilst the Department cannot directly influence these issues, the risks can be mitigated by ensuring that P. maxima stocks are sustainably managed through regular monitoring, targeted research and best management practices."
Record source
Information about the record source: grey_lit
Date of publication/issue/production: 2016-01-01T00:00:00+0000
Source Reference(s):
Department of Fisheries, Perth. Report No. 6.
Date of record entry: 2022-12-26