Giants clams brought in from Palau

Over 360 pieces of Southern Giant Clam (Tridacna derasa), also called the Smooth Giant Clam, were imported from Palau and are currently being kept at an artificial reef at the Hotel Nikko Saipan.

The shipment arrived on Saipan Saturday afternoon, with about 300 clams ranging in size from 6 to 9 cms and another 60 measuring up to 21 cms.

The small clams were donated by Palau President Tommy Remengesau Jr. while the large ones were purchased by the NMI government. The clams are expected to be transferred soon to various marine sanctuaries around Saipan.

Rep. Martin Ada, who initiated the process of bringing in the clams, said the cost to buy the larger clams, as well as shipping and handling, manpower, and logistics, was roughly $2,500.

According to environmental consultant John Gourley, who assisted the government in obtaining the clams, there was a 100-percent survival rate upon arrival, but he found that one of the big clams had died yesterday morning.

Gourley said there were problems with the tanks that were supposed to house the clams before they could be placed in the ocean, resulting in the change of venue.

“We had a back up plan where we approached the general manager [Yutaka Fujita] of Nikko and asked if we can bring them here if we had problems and they accepted.”

Gourley and Ada also indicated that another 700 small clams and 140 larger clams would be imported at a later date.

“If the 60 big ones are successful, we might get some more,” Ada said.

Lt. Gov Diego T. Benavente, who observed the clams yesterday, echoed that the imported clams would “hopefully be a start of giant clams growing in the lagoon.”

‘There’s a lot of reasons to have these type of species growing in our lagoon, whether for tourists to see and enjoy and even consumption…but at this point, we want to see that there’s an abundance in our lagoon before that happens,” he said.

Ada called on the public to help ensure that the population of the clams would increase.

“The main purpose of us bringing these here is for the children of tomorrow,” Ada said. “So we need the public’s cooperation to help the Division of Fish and Wildlife and [Department of Lands and Natural Resources] protect and conserve these animals and let them increase and propagate until we have so much.

“I just feel that the public should be a part of this restocking. Give them a chance to increase and populate the ocean so we have them not only for research and education, but also for consumption. They [clams] are considered one of the delicacies on island. We use to have a lot of clams but we over-harvested them.”

Ada also pitched in the idea of exporting clams in the future “once we have an abundance” of the marine life.

The clams, which according to Gourley can grow up to two and half to three feet, would be placed off Managaha Island, Bird Island, and Forbidden Island.

“It will be monitored,” Ada explained. “Those three areas are being patrolled by hired security on a daily basis, for 24 hours a day. Fish and Wildlife will do the water patrol.”

Talks of importing the clams have been in the air for the past year already. Gourley said the delay was due to permitting problems, as well as working out quarantine plans and other necessary regulatory responsibilities and obligations that come with importing live animals.

He said all federal and local permits were obtained before importing the clams, a process that “took a fair amount of effort on everybody’s part.”