Pearling

WA’s commercial pearling industry started in the 19th century and was centred in Broome, Cossack, Onslow and Shark Bay – although Broome became the major centre for the industry following Federation. Pearl shell was the industry’s focus in the early days and between 1900 and 1914 WA fisheries supplied between half and three quarters of the world’s supply of pearl shell which was used to make buttons and ornaments, with its main market being the United Kingdom and later the United States.

Pearl diver preparing to collect shell in the 1930s

Following the invention and refinement of pearl seeding techniques by Japan in the 1950’s, WA established its first pearl farm at Augustus Island off the north coast of the State in 1956 and then at Kuri Bay, 200km north-east of Derby.

By the 1990s there were eleven licensed pearling companies operating on the WA coast in an industry valued at $189million in 1997-98. The global financial crisis hit the industry hard in 2008-09, but it is slowly recovering and is currently valued between $60-$80million annually – making it WA’s second most important commercial fishery by value.

For more information about WA’s pearl fishery, please visit Pearling