9a["The Fisheries Department", The Western Mail (Perth, WA), Saturday 18 July 1903, page 11]

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North-West Pearling Industry.

During the year 1902, 789 tons 12cwt. of shell, with a declared value of £137,600 have been exported from this State. It is satisfactory to note that these figures show an increase of 73 tons 12cwt. over these of 1901, with a value of £32,610. Taking the value of pearls obtained

throughout the year at an estimate of £40,000, the industry represents a total of £177,600. From the returns supplied by the licensing officers at Broome, Roebourne, and Onslow, 223 boats were licensed under the Pearlshell Fishery Act, 1886, showing an increase of 23 boats over the previous year. The total number of male adults employed may be approximately put at 1,680, 1,515 being Asiatic and African aliens. 110 European, and 55 aborigines.

The Revenue Derived.

I regret to again draw attention to the very small annual revenue derived directly from the pearling industry, and trust that the necessary legislation, for which a Bill has been drafted since 1901, dealing with this and other important questions will be considered during the next session of Parliament. To again point out that the revenue at present derived is anything but commensurate with the importance of the industry, I

have only to repeat that the export value for the year was £177,600, and a direct revenue received of only £223, which represents a licensing fee of £1 for every boat engaged in pearling operations.

9b["Pearling Industry", Geraldton Guardian (WA), Friday 23 August 1907, page 2]

Pearling Industry.

Mr. C. F. Gale, Chief Inspector of Fisheries, in his annual report, refers as follows to the pearling industry in the North-West and Sharks Bay:--

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NORTH-WEST PEARLING.

During the year 3,076 tons 14cwt. of pearl-shell, with a declared value of £140,808, have been exported from the State. Although these figures show a decrease of 217 tons 19cwt. over those of 1905, the decrease in value was only £5,417. Taking the value of pearls obtained at an approximate estimate of £60,000, the industry represents a total of £200,808 for the year. From returns supplied to me from the licensing officers at Broome, Cossack, and Onslow, 25 schooners with a tonmage of 1,405, and 320 luggers with a tonnage of 3,816, were licensed under The Pearl Shell Fishery Act, 1886. The number of male adults employed in the industry may be put down at 2,500. The following has been the average net value of shell per ton to shipper at Broome f.o.b., after deducting local exchange, freight, and London and local charges during the years 1902, £197 10s; 1903, £143; 1904, £104; 1905, £107; 1906, £125. Although the pearling industry of our northern waters is still in a fairly flourishing condition, the average per working lugger is much lower than it was in the earlier days of the industry, when operations were carried on in comparatively shallow water with naked divers. These grounds have, to a very great extent, been worked out, and pearlers have to depend on the supply from greater depths; the limit being, approximately, 20 fathoms in which operations can be carried on, and but few divers venture to shell in deeper water. The unworkable ground, of which there is a great extent, will always act as a huge reserve from which the shallower waters will be restocked; so that there will be little danger of the supply being altogether depleted. Provided the shell market improves, or keeps to its present value, I do not think there will be any further falling off in the number of boats now shelling; but what prices will be in the future it is impossible to say, and if the market falls below £100 per ton, the industry will be very seriously affected. Other countries are turning their attention to the scientific investigations of the pearl-shell molluscs, with a view of improving their own pearling industries, and the time must come sooner or later, when artificial cultivation must give place to the present methods of obtaining shell. Desultory experiments have been made in different parts of the world without much conspicuous success. If, however, proper methods are adopted, and these will eventually be proved, and suitable localities chosen, there is no reason why the pearl-shell could not be cultivated in immense numbers, the same as the edible oyster, in many parts of the world, which gives employment to thousands of persons, and a permanent flourishing industry maintained.

An important matter agitating the minds of those engaged in the industry is the illicit trafficking in pearls, and they are crying out for restrictive legislation to stop the evil. The whole question is one brimful of difficulties. Legislation, to be effective, would require sufficiently drastic measures as to interfere with the liberty of the subject, before a complete stop could be put to the practice. Efforts

were made during last session to amend the Police Offences Bill in the dirertfon of making it an offence to be in possession of a pearl or pearl suspected of being stolen. The Bill, however, got no further than the Select Committee stage. As much, if not more, illicit trafficking takes place at sea as on land, and as long as a 'snide buyer,' as they are locally called, owns a licensed boat and operates himself on the pearling grounds, it is impossible to prove anything against him, provided he is not given away by those selling to him; a contingency seldom, if ever, happening.

9c["Broome Pearlers", The Northern Times (Carnarvon, WA), Saturday 11 January 1913, page 8]

BROOME PEARLERS.

ASSOCIATION'S ANNUAL REPORT.

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Average Price Per Ton realised for M.O.P. shell f.o.b. Broome for 23 years:--1890, £110; 1891, £110; 1892, £100; 1893, £85; 1894, £90; 1895, £100; 1896, £105; 1897, £105; 1898, £110; 1899, £115; 1900, £125; 1901, £150; 1902, £175; 1903, £205; 1904, £105; 1905, £105; 1906, £115; 1907, £125; 1908, £140; 1909, £180; 1910, £200; 1911, £220; 1912, £255.

notes:

steady rise in shell price 1904-05-06 (£105, 105, 115), but not to the level of 1903 (£205/ton)

What was the increase in the fleet over the same period?

9d["Pearling", The Western Mail (Perth, WA), Friday 21 December 1917, page 39]

Pearling.

(by R. C. Spear.)

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According to official figures, the biggest year in the history of pearling was 1912, when pearls and shell to the value of £521,609 were exported; the figures for 1910 were £348,911; 1911, £340,764; 1913, £374,729. For the six months ended June 30, 1914, the figures were £135,970. Then the war made its influence felt, as, for the 12 months ended June 30, 1915, the total export value was £178,055, whereas for the year ended June 30, 1916, the figures only reached £162,597, whilst those for the twelve months ended June 30, 1917, were £196,977.

But export figures, necessarily, do not give the total amount of the season's "take" of shell. For instance, the total "take" for last season amounted to 1,538 tons, which averaged at £170 per ton; the approximate value would total £261,460. In normal times--i.e., in pre-war times-shell averaged £275 per ton, though as much as £400 per ton was paid for the primest quality. The value of last year's "take'' at the former figure, therefore, would have amounted to £422,950.

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