By Francis Talasasa , Reporter
The Republic of Palau Government and the Japanese Government has committed further into their friendship, in a signing of a grant agreement of around US6.6 million dollars toward a clamshell farming project this week at the Bureau of Marine Resources complex.
The project building will host several resource departments that will cater specific areas relating to the establishment of clamshell breeding stocks and help increase the number of productions in a timely manner.
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Signing the official agreement with Japan Government officials is the Minister for State Billy Kuartei, witnessed by President Remengesau and his ministers with the Director of the Bureau of Marine Resources Leon E. Remengesau and officials.
President Remengesau made remarks and thanked the Government of Japan for the assistance on its ongoing partnership with Japan. He said the assistance given was welcoming for the ongoing conservation goals Palau has been working on with for over the past years. These particular marine species is valuable and important to remain a presence in the ocean.
Japan Government officials confirmed the work will start next year that will coincide with the Japanese government fiscal calendar in March 2017.
The building materials and building engineers will come from Japan and will be sub-contracted to local contractors to carry out the building work.
Clamshells have been renowned for its high demand for traditional consumption in Palau and including restaurant menus in Palau and the outside market.
However, the number of these species has declined outside the ocean because of its high demand.
The plan is to produce a triple production from the current two hundred thousand to at least half a million single clamshells market supply. [/restrict]