On Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016, four members of the Ngebuked giant clam collective farm led by senior members, Skeras Hideos and Augustine Ngirchorachl, and accompanied by their advisor, Legislator Sharp Sakuma, came to BMR to receive their income derived from an export of their clam seedlings to the aquarium trade.
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The clams seedlings exported were the species crocea (oruer) that had been allocated to them by BMR from an amount purchased by the Palau Aquaculture Cooperative Association (PACA) last year with funds donated to the association through the Office of the Minister of MNRET. The allocation or distribution of the oruer seedlings from the amount purchased follows BMR’s current objective to find short-term income, as in export sale, to enable a sincere farmer to have the funds to purchase more seedlings for his farm.
Aside from the actual amount to be purchased by the Ngebuked clam farmers as additional seed for their collective pen, the Bureau of Marine Resources (BMR) is giving the group supplemental seedlings to complement the amount purchased. “This is to increase the inventory of the clam farmers because due to the simple fact that the seed now needs to be purchased from PMDC, all clam farmers only have small amount to purchase their seed when they start out in the program. Giving them a supplemental number of seedlings will help ensure that a worthwhile or substantial number of clams are reared and eventually harvested for consumption after several years,” said Director Leon Remengesau. [/restrict]