Training programmes in pearl culture

Abstract

At the Group Discussion on Pearl culture held at Tuticorin in January 1974, an important decision was taken that the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, which had developed the indigenous technology for pearl culture should also organise training courses in this specialised area for the benefit of the development programmes in the country (Swaminathan, 1974 ; Alagarswami, 1974a). India is one of the few countries in the world known for production of natural pearls from time immemorial and had developed a sizable export trade to countries such as Greece and Rome about 2,000 years ago.