PEARL SHELL

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12288, 10 April 1918, Page 7

PEARL SHELL

OFF THE PHILIPPINES.

Button Factories at Manila.

The Philippine pearl beds form a part of a vast pearl-bearing area that is said to extend from Mindanao to Borneo The various grounds worked are centred about different islands of the archipelago lying in this region. The gold-lip pearl oyster, known to commerce as the Sulu mother-of-pearl shell, is the species found throughout this region. Exact data as to the output of the Philippine pearl-shell beds are not available. The annual yield of goldlip pearl-shells is probably between 300 and 400 tons, worth £35,000 to £40,000. A portion of these shells are exported in raw form; the remainder are made into buttons and other products in the factories of Manila. There are no figures concerning the yield of pearls. It is estimated that approximately £IOO,OOO worth of pearls are marketed annually. The Philippine beds yield a larger proportion of pearls than do the Australian or Celebes beds. The shells usually sell for £6 to £9' n picul (picul equals 139.44 pounds), according to the grade. While most of the pearls taken are small, a reasonable proportion are of good size and value. Mr Alvin Seale, formerly fisheries expert of the Philippine Bureau of science, who has made the most compete survey of the pearl beds of the Philippine waters that has yet been undertaken, reports that during three months he examined eight pearls taken during the time which had an aggregate value of £2OOO. In addition to the pearl shells taken 3n Philippine waters, there are other shallow-water shells, such as the top and turban shells, fished in quantities. These are used chiefly in the manufacture of buttons. The top shell and the turban shell get their popular names from their shapes; the former resembles a hoy’s top and the latter is tnrban-shaped. They abound in many places in the Sulu waters. Beds are found also in Davao Gulf, the east coast of Mindanao, Tawi Tawi and Sitanki. The top shell, is valued at £3 per picul and the turban shell at about £2 10s per picul. Approximately 250 tons of the top shells and 65 tons of the turban shells are exported annually. The turban shell is also known as the green snail. Most of the shells of these classes are sent direct from Philippine ports to Singapore, where they are reshipped to other markets. . recent years there has been an increased demand for these shells in Japan. The local demand has been increased also by the establishment of two large, button factories in Manila _ One of these factories has 30 cutting machines capable of turning out 1000 gross button slugs per dayT The other factory has a slightly smaller capacity. Both button factories report prosperous conditions. As the demand for their ’product increases, these factories are. finding it hard to get all the shells needed. The demand made by Japan for Philippine shells is felt. Aside from the matter of prices paid lor shells, the. fact that a largo proportion of the shell fishers are Japanese weighs in favour of the Japanese market. Orer. half of the vessels in tho Philippine pearling fleet are owned or controlled by the. Japanese. The latest available list of vessels fishing on the< Philippine bods shows a total of 73 vessels.