The Native Touch

The Sass & Bide's of Australian fashion may have wooed the American market but when it comes to Italy, it's the little guys that pack a punch. Assia Benmedjdoub discovers why.

One Arm Point is no fashion capital. Bordered by long stretches of dusty and unsealed road, the remote community is a testament to old Aboriginal values rather than the posturing of high fashion. Local tribes still embrace their native traditions; hunting fish and reptiles with wooden spears and brewing potent medicines from nearby bush plants. Others prefer to toil among the warm waters of Jology Beach or trek along its pearly sand dunes than In 2005 alone, the community supplied some 10 tonnes of its local trochus shell harvest to the Italian accessory industry and last season this ballooned to 15 tonnes internationally. Not bad for a town that boasts around 300 residents. And, according to Justin Bellanger from the Tro"The quantity of trochus fished and the price obtained for the trochus has varied over the past 26 years," he explains. "But there has been a recent increase in price and demand that is encouraging for the growth of this fishery."
Set near the Bardi community on the Dampier Peninsula, the Ardyaloon Hatchery is the only one of its kind in Australia and commercially produces anywhere between 8 and 20 tonnes of trochus shell per annum. Prized for its high silver lustre and thickness, the shell is then exported to Italy and used to produce buttons for clothing, jewellery or as a pearl-based paint for both. Chairperson of the One Arm Point Community Council, Andrew Carter, says the international demand for trochus is at an all time high.
"There are only three places in the world where you can find it: Australia, Vanuatu and Samoa," he says. "It's a similar shell to the mother of pearl and it's a beautiful natural resource on our reefs. We even sell them locally as ornaments for around $20 to $50 because they're beautiful as is."
On the cusp of a deal to produce 100 tonnes of the shell for the Italian fashion industry a year, Carter's not the only one to admire its beauty. The companies, which manufacture accessories and trimmings for the European market, are also offering to finance the technology and infrastructure, which would allow the community to up its annual production.
"Because we're a land-based hatchery, our juvenile trochus shells take up to four years to grow," Carter explains. "If we were to put in seacages, the growth rate would be much higher; say three to two-and-a-half years. But we're still in negotiations so it's not all confirmed."
A true-blue community effort, the current hatchery employs six locals and a legion of Bardi men who take to the seas in search of the trochus shell. Often waiting for the 10 to 11 metre tide to dissolve, the men take their boats to the reef, pluck the shells from the ocean bed and then bring them back to the mainland where they are cleaned and processed.
"Prior to export, the shells are boiled for approximately one hour and tapped on a piece of wood to remove the meat," Bellanger says. They are then cleaned externally of any fouling and dried before they are packed into hessian bags for export. "Receiving anywhere between $8 and $9.50 per kg for dried packed trochus shell, the community fished approximately 15 to 20 tonnes last season at a gross value of approximately $190,000. Polished whole shells are also sold locally as ornaments for between $20 to $50 per shell. "It provides a little extra income for the locals," Carter laughs. "But we purchase the shells as a community from the people who go out in their boats and catch them and then we export them. It's a very local kind of project." Already operated by members of the local community, the hatchery is also used as a training facility by the local school and TAFE for delivering the Certificate in Aquaculture program.
"It's actually part of the local school curriculum," Carter adds. "It's used as part of their jewellery-making course so the kids come down here and have a poke around the hatchery. They also use it as part of an agricultural class."
But, as Carter admits, the booming business isn't without its challenges. Earlier this year, the community called on the government for financial assistance to replenish local trochus stock. Wanting to breed the shells in captivity before restoring them to the local reefs, Carter along with fellow community members also demanded the government to up its border protection before doing so.
"Illegal Indonesian poachers are a big, big problem for us," Carter explains.
"Because there are only three places in the world where you can find trochus shells, there's a high demand and so we have to make sure we catch them on a sustainable level.
"Even if the Indonesians are caught, we never see those shells because they're taken by customs and docked in the Scott Reef which is out of our reach. The amount of times we've seen the fisherman, and the response time is totally inadequate."
Bellanger agrees sustainability and border protection are essential for the growth of the industry.
"Minimum and maximum size limits, seasonal closures and advised quotas are used to ensure a sustainable fishery is maintained," he says. "Illegal fishing results in an uncontrolled removal of trochus from the fishery that threatens its sustainability."
Still optimistic about the future, Carter says he believes the local community's enthusiasm will help to prop the business.
"Besides our problems with the Indonesian poachers, the business is really good side income for a lot of people and the Italians are very enthusiastic about what it can do."

BREAKOUT BOX

What is a trochus shell?
According to the Department of Fisheries WA, a trochus shell is a large, conical-shaped, marine gastropod (snail) that can grow to over 120mm across the base. Found in shallow tro
Where is it found?
The trochus shell can only be found in Australia, Vanuatu and Samoa with the current global demand estimated at 7,000 tonnes annually, that's worth around $50 - $60 million.

What is it used for?
Trochus shells are used to make jewellery and buttons. The remaining shell crusts are then crushed and used a pearl based paint for both.

What are the issues facing the industry?
Illegal Indonesian poachers are, according to industry estimates, taking around 40 to 50 tonnes of trochus shell from the reefs adjacent to One Arm Point (Australia's premier trochus district). This is not only hampering local business but threatening sustainability levels.

What do the experts think?
"It's a similar shell to the mother of pearl and it's a beautiful natural resource on our reefs. We even sell them locally as ornaments for around $20 to $50 because they're beautiful as is." Andrew Carter, Chairperson of One Arm Point Community Council.

"The quantity of trochus fished and the price obtained for the trochus has varied over the past 26 years but there has been a recent increase in price and demand." Justin Bellanger from the Tro