Artisanal, shell-based handicraft in Papua New Guinea: Challenges and opportunities for livelihoods development

Abstract

A thorough understanding of livelihoods is necessary to ensure development policies are compatible with both resource conservation and the social and economic goals of development. Few studies, however, focus on value-adding activities occurring post-harvest in artisanal fisheries. The transformation of mollusc shells and skeletal remains of other marine taxa into artistic jewellery and decorative items is becoming an increasingly important livelihood activity for rural, coastal communities across the Pacific. We examine the potential challenges facing the shell-based handicraft sector and opportunities for overcoming these challenges using a quantitative study of artisans among the Tigak Islands of Papua New Guinea. The major challenges facing this livelihood sector are perceptions of marine resource declines and a lack of livelihood flexibility, attributed to the specialisation of material assets and skills. Improving market heterogeneity and developing coastal aquaculture may facilitate sustainable development of this livelihood sector.

Sustainable Crafts: Describing Conceptual Evolution Through a Bibliometric Analysis and Systematic Literature Review

“…A thorough understanding of livelihoods is necessary to ensure that development policies are compatible with resource conservation and social and economic development goals, i.e., sustainability (Simard et al, 2019).…”

From Past to Present: Construction of a Dataset Documenting Mother-of-Pearl Exports From a Pacific Island Nation, Papua New Guinea

“…Our analysis (Quality-validation of the dataset section) confirmed that MoP exports from PNG were reflective of national (Figure 2) and regional (Supplementary Figure 2) production trends validating such application, with the following considerations for unreported harvest. First, it must be recognised that pearl oysters, greensnail, and trochus are also harvested for subsistence (as a protein source) (Glucksman and Lindholm, 1982) and, to a small extent, for the domestic shell trade (Simard et al, 2019). Second, the proportion of MoP production ultimately exported is further reduced by shells rejected as part of quality control (i.e., undersized, oversized, or damaged shell) (Kelso, 1996).…”

Utilization of marine taxa within an artisanal shellcraft sector of the Indo-Pacific region

“…Shellcraft, an activity producing shell-handicrafts (Fröcklin et al, 2018) or shell-based handicrafts (Simard et al, 2019), encompasses production of ornamental and decorative items that utilize shells and other skeletal remains of marine taxa. Such items, hereafter referred to as shellcrafts, can be produced in remote locations using either traditional tools or modern equipment, and can offer much-needed livelihood opportunities, particularly in coastal areas with high marine biodiversity (Fröcklin et al, 2018;Simard et al, 2019;Southgate et al, 2019;Militz et al, 2021).…”

“…Shellcraft, an activity producing shell-handicrafts (Fröcklin et al, 2018) or shell-based handicrafts (Simard et al, 2019), encompasses production of ornamental and decorative items that utilize shells and other skeletal remains of marine taxa. Such items, hereafter referred to as shellcrafts, can be produced in remote locations using either traditional tools or modern equipment, and can offer much-needed livelihood opportunities, particularly in coastal areas with high marine biodiversity (Fröcklin et al, 2018;Simard et al, 2019;Southgate et al, 2019;Militz et al, 2021). Shellcraft has become an increasingly important means of income generation for coastal communities throughout the Indo-Pacific (Sulu et al, 2015;Barclay et al, 2018;Fröcklin et al, 2018;Simard et al, 2019) and, over recent years, demand for souvenirs made locally, by hand, and with natural materials, such as shellcrafts, has grown with the rise of tourism (Floren, 2003;Gössling et al, 2004;Dias et al, 2011;Chand et al, 2014;Naidu et al, 2014;Militz et al, 2021).…”