| Abstract |
Until recently, mollusc production in French Polynesia was only based upon fishing, for local consumption of edible bivalves mainly the oyster Saccostrea cucullata and for the exportation of pearl-oyster shells. As a consequence of parasitism problems on local oysters, a mollusc program was initiated by developping hatchery technics on introduced species of edible bivalves, Saccostrea echinata and Perna viridis, and cultivation methods in specialyy fitted up areas. Concerning pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera the traditional shell production activity was recently reorganized to produce black culture pearls, inducing an increased demand of young implantable pearl-oysters. Hatchery spat production proved to be unsuccessful, and technics of collection and cultivation in lagoons were set up to supply the pearl oyster farming industry, and face the depletion natural stock. [NOT CONTROLLED OCR] |
