Palau Invests Heavily in Local Aquaculture, Opens Giant Clam Research Centre

Palau’s newly renovated Mariculture Demonstration Centre supports aquaculture of giant clams and other marine research activities. The fishery and aquaculture industry has provided a source of economic revenues for the island nation. The giant clam is regarded as one of the important marine products for Palau.

Established in the 1970s, the Mariculture Demonstration Centre recognized the importance of sustainably managing this marine resource, and soon became known for pioneering work on giant clam culture. Sources say most of the giant clam seedlings are distributed to state governments for reseeding programs. The Japanese government in 2016 had provided a grant of $6.6 million to fund the centre’s renovations.

With this, Palau President Tommy Remengesau said they cannot entirely rely on the wild when it comes to subsistence and commercial food production. “Palau and its partners are investing heavily in local aquaculture to ensure that food availability is secure for our people and our visitors.”