Page 67 - Records of Bahrain (3) (ii)_Neat

The pre-war economy: pearl fishing, 1899-1915 483

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A VPBumix a

THE PEARL AND MOTHER-OF-PEARL FISHERIES OF
THE PERSIAN GULF.*

Pearl fishing is the premier industry of the Persian Gulf ; it is,
besides being the occupation most peculiar to that region, the principal or
only source o£ wealth among the residents of the Arabian side. Were
the supply of pearls to fail, the trade of Kuwait would be severely
crippled, while that of Bahrain might—it is estimated—bo reduced
to about one-fifth of its present dimensions and the ports of Trucial
'Oman, which have no other resources, would practically cease to exist;
in other words, the purchasing power of the inhabitants of the eastern
coast of Arabia depends very largely upon, the pearl fisheries. Anncxure
No. 3 to this Appendix shows that the number of boats employed in the
industry is now about 4,500, and that the number of operatives person­
ally engaged in pearling is over 74,000 ; moreover, in estimating1 the
importance of the fisheries a6 a means of livelihood, the families of the
operatives must be borne in mind, as well as the numerous capitalists,
large and small, with their dependents, whose funds arc invested in the
industry. Aunexurcs Nos. 1 and 2 supply further proof of the magnitude
of the interests involved, for the value of the pearls exported from the
Gulf, estimated in 1833 at £300,000 and in I860 at £400,000, was in
1906-06 (at the lowest computation) £1,434,399 ; and to this figure must
be added the value of the mother-of-pearl exported, which in earlier
times was little or nothing, but in 1903-04 amounted to £30,439.
The pearl fisheries have a political as well as a commercial aspect,
and to that aspect we shall return after first considering the industry in
a general light.

•The older authorities aro an article by Colonel D. Wilson in tho J. R. G. S.
Vol. Ill ; an article by Colonel L, Pally in tho Tr. Bo. Q. S., Yol. XVIII; an article
by Captain E. L. Durand in the Persian Gulf Administration Report for 1877-78 ;
an articlo in tho same for 1886-86 by Colonel E. Moclder ; and tho Persian Gulf
Pilot, 1898. Colonel Mocklcr was tho first to cope successfully with tho technicalities
of the pear trado. Statistics will bo found in the annual Administration and
Commercial Reports of the Persian Gulf Residency. Tho present articlo is founded
partly on tho preceding, but also to a largo extent on roports mado in 1905, 1906 and
1907, by Captain P. 13. Pridcaux, Political Agent in Bahrain, and by Ira assistant
Mr. In’am-al-Haqq, who rendered invaluablo service ; by Captain S. G. Knox, Political
Agent at Kuwait; by Mr. J. C. Gaskin, Political Assistant, and by the (Nativo)
Residency Agents at Sharjah and Lingeh. The acknowledgments of Iho writer aro
nho due to Dr. N. Annamlalo of tho Indian Museum, Calcutta. Interesting side
lights aro cast upon tho subjoot of tho Persian Gulf ponrl fisheries by Profosnor
AV. A. Hordmaufs Report on the Pearl Oyster Fisheries of the Gulf of Maiiaar
1903-06.