The national spat collection program will generate significant livelihood benefits across Fiji and support continued expansion of the Fijian cultured pearl industry. Results identified sites supporting high levels of pearl oyster recruitment as a basis for an ongoing national spat collection program, and support better targeting of spat collection activities that maximise oyster supply to the Fijian pearl industry. margaritifera based on greater levels of recruitment at these sites. penguin have greater tolerance of more turbid inshore sites than P. from the leases and sold to a certified shellfish processing facility. penguin ranged from 7.53 cm to 13.62 cm across sites. They provide the small seed clams or oysters produced in a hatchery with food and.
![selling oyster spat selling oyster spat](https://www.zapcoaquaculture.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/zapcoaquaculture-10-1.jpg)
penguin were collected from all sites, with the highest number of recruits (495) recorded from Namarai (Viti Levu). Because an oyster is considered spat up to the age of 12 months, size can vary considerably. Some spat is still collected, but the amount is small compared to the spat sourced from New South Wales. margaritifera recruitment during the study and these were generally sites with relatively turbid water. Queensland oyster farmers have, for some time, relied on importing spat from New South Wales for on-growing into Queensland waters. margaritifera at any site was 8.61 ± 0.30 cm while the smallest was 4.26 ± 0.13 cm. The largest mean dorso-ventral measurement (DVM) of P. margaritifera juveniles were collected from all sites with the highest number of recruits (693) and the highest number of recruits per collector (2.10 ± 0.17) occurring at Nacobau (Vanua Levu). Spat collectors were deployed for a period of 10–15 months when the number of pearl oyster ( Pinctada margaritifera and Pteria penguin) spat attached to each collector was counted and shell size recorded. Spat collectors consisted of a 100 m longline from which 310 individual spat collectors were suspended.
![selling oyster spat selling oyster spat](https://wellfleetspat.org/wp-content/uploads/Barbara_Austin-holding-spat.jpg)
![selling oyster spat selling oyster spat](https://wellfleetspat.org/wp-content/uploads/Buy-Oysters-scaled.jpg)
Twenty-nine sites across Fiji were used in this study. This supply can be inconsistent and a research program was implemented to determine recruitment of pearl oysters to spat collectors at sites throughout Fiji as a basis for developing a national spat collection program to improve reliability of oyster supply to the industry. He then puts them in special nets or lines (oysters and mussels) that are. Cultured pearl farming in Fiji relies on wild spat collection to supply the oysters used for pearl production. Generally, a shellfish farmer buys or collects juvenile shellfish, called spat.