Paua shell dumped

Press, 28 August 1982, Page 2

Paua shell dumped

PA Wellington Hundreds of tonnes of paua shell have been dumped because of the ban on shell exports to protect the jewellery industry. The Fishing Industry Board said in its annual report yesterday that the shell had been dumped because there was too much for New Zealand jewellers’ needs. A paua shell exchange, comprising two jewellers and two fishing industry representatives, has. been formed to deal with the prob-

lem. “Shell will be offered through the exchange for sale. If, after six months, the shell is unsold, the exchange will issue the seller with an appropriate certificate to enable him to gain Customs Department approval to export such shell,” the board said. The cost to the jewellery industry of paying for new shell as well as existing stockpiles was considered too high. It was decided that in the case of stockpiles, a 12month moratorium would be

granted during which the shell would be. registered with the exchange, and the manufacturers and fishermen would develop a formula for its disposal, the board said. A spokesman for the board said that upwards of 700. tonnes, of shell was how stockpiled. The exchange had. set values of about $5OO a tonne for poor-quality shell, and upwards of jlOOO’for top quality. He could not estimate the value of shell dumped in the last decade.