$450,000 Grant To Develop Environmental Monitoring System

Tuesday 13 June 2006

The University of Newcastle will assist the $200 million Western Australian pearling industry by monitoring the environment of the remote Kimberley pearl farms thanks to a $450,000 investment by the Australian Government Fisheries Research and Development Corporation.

The funding awarded to the Pearl Producers Association (PPA) in collaboration with the University of Newcastle and the fisheries consultancy Biospherics, takes the project amount already raised in cash and in kind to over $1 million.

The research, which complements the recent development of an Environmental Management System (EMS) for the pearling industry, will monitor the environment around three pearl farms in Western Australia and compare the ecology of those areas to nearby reference locations. The comparison will determine whether there is an environmental disturbance arising from pearl cultivation. The project will be conducted over four years and assist to evaluate the ongoing scientific requirements for Western Australia's pearling industry. Dr Geoff MacFarlane and Dr Maria Schreider of the University of Newcastle's School of Environmental and Life Sciences, who will oversee the research component, are delighted to have formed this exciting new collaboration.

Dr MacFarlane said, "The partnership between the PPA and the University of Newcastle builds on our previous experience conducting environmental monitoring at the Wanda Head Akoya pearl oyster farm in Port Stephens, NSW. The involvement of the WA pearling industry, which accounts for 98% of all export income from pearls in Australia, cements our laboratory at the forefront of research investigating the environmental performances of Australia's pearling industries."

Brett McCallum, the Executive Officer of the PPA has welcomed the signing of contracts between the University of Newcastle, PPA and Biospherics and looked forward to developing the Western Australian pearling industry's research capacity with the University. "The WA pearling industry contributes $200 million per annum to Australia and is renowned for producing the highest quality pearls in the world. This work will ensure that the quality of the environment from which these precious gems are grown also remains of the highest quality," Mr McCallum said.

The study will also present other challenges to the research team because of the remote locations of the pearl farms in the far northern Kimberley region of Australia. The first field trip in May saw researcher Scott Gifford travel between pearl farm sites via seaplane, avoiding saltwater crocodiles and managing field visits around tropical cyclones.

For comment, contact Dr Geoff MacFarlane on 02 4921 7858 or Scott Gifford, Research Assistant, on 02 4921 5104. Images from the first field trip are available from media@newcastle.edu.au