The CIBJO Pearl Commission report that will be at the centre of the discussions among delegates from the pearl sector at the organisation’s forthcoming Congress in Colombia on October 15, 2018 focuses on the growing commitment of pearl farmers from around the world to set the golden standard for sustainability in a marine environment.

In the report, Kenneth Scarratt, head of the CIBJO Pearl Commission, draws attention to “the significant issues surrounding how we control the massive volume of rubbish generated globally that enters our oceans and seas."

He then goes on to discuss a range of ongoing projects taken up by the pearl industry globally from the Philippines to Australia, the Indonesian archipelago to West Papua, and Fiji to Bahrain and stresses that the long-term livelihood of individuals and communities engaged in pearl farming is dependent on the “ability to maintain a pristine ocean environment, and to provide economic opportunity to the far-flung indigenous communities where pearling is carried out”.

"Pearl farming has often been described as ecological aquaculture," he notes, quoting the Blue Pledge, a new initiative that aims to unite pearl farmers who actionably seek to contribute to the health of the oceans and the global climate. "Pearl oysters are filter feeders that require pristine water conditions in order to produce high-quality pearls. They are also recognised as an indicator species, meaning that any decline in water quality has a direct impact on oyster health, pearl quality, and oyster mortality."

"Thus, while the world around us appears to be desperately struggling with man's ineptitudes, let us take comfort in the fact that our pearling community can stand proudly as shining examples to the rest of humanity," the report concludes.