A recent report from the Territorial Audit Office (CTC), submitted to the Assembly, exposes the severe challenges facing French Polynesia’s pearl sector in recent years. The failure of the 2017 reform—which has struggled to deliver results four years after implementation—and the “alarming” environmental impact on lagoons have raised serious concerns about the future of this key export commodity.
As Tahitian cultured pearls mark their 60th anniversary this week at the Poe Ma’ohi trade show at Hilton Tahiti, the CTC’s detailed report (covering 2015-2021) highlights the sector’s growing difficulties. While pearl farming remains French Polynesia’s top local export (generating 8.6 billion Fcfp in 2014), revenues plummeted to 2.5 billion Fcfp in 2020 amid a severe economic crisis. The industry’s systemic issues can no longer be ignored.
The report traces pearl farming’s turbulent history: from its 1980s boom to the 1990s virus-induced crash, followed by a recovery peaking in 1999. Since that zenith, the sector has faced relentless decline, with export prices per gram collapsing from 1,710 Fcfp in 2000 to 472 Fcfp in 2019.
The 2017 reform—spearheaded by President Édouard Fritch’s government to shift from mass production to quality-focused output—has largely failed. Production quotas set in 2021 proved ineffective, public water concessions were allocated haphazardly, and one-third of producers (holding 1,300 hectares) have been inactive since 2017. The transfer of responsibilities to industry professionals and governance changes were similarly unsuccessful.
Environmental damage from pearl farming poses another critical concern, with waste accumulating for 40 years across pearl-producing islands. Takaroa and Takapoto lagoons have suffered particularly severe degradation, requiring costly remediation.
The CTC urges immediate action, recommending seven specific measures for 2021. President Fritch has pledged to launch a new sectoral policy by year-end, incorporating these recommendations. As Tahiti celebrates six decades of pearl cultivation, the industry now faces an urgent overhaul to ensure its survival and ecological sustainability.
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