Tridacnidae

A great note on this family by Henk Menis to the Conch-L listserve November 05, 2000

The whole family Tridacnidae falls under the directives stipulated by CITES, exploitation of natural populations for whatever purpose is outlawed. Only specimens grown in so-called Giant Clam farms maybe sold as meat and empty shells, provided that those shipments are cleared by the local authorities and supplied with detailed documents showing that the material had been grown in farms.

Although poaching continues locally, numerous farms throughout the Pacific Ocean are growing now most of the Tridacna and Hippopus species on a commercial scale.

Numerous papers have been written on this subject, but special attention deserve the monographs published by the:

Australian Centre for International Agricultural Res
((ACIAR), located at GPO Box 1571, Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia.
No. 9: Copland, J.W. & Lucas, J.S. (Eds.), 1988. Giant clams in Asia and the Pacific.
ACIAR Monograph, 9: 274 pp.
No. 14:Norton, J.H. & Jones, G.W., 1992. The Giant clam: an anatomical and histological atlas.
ACIAR Monograph, 14: 142 pp.
No. 15:Braley, R.D. (Ed.), 1992. The Giant clam: hatchery and nursery culture manual.
ACIAR Monograph, 15: 144 pp.
No. 16: Calumpong, H.P., 1992. The Giant clam: an ocean culture manual.
ACIAR Monograph, 16: 65 pp.
All these publications contain extensive references to further reading.

In addition a newsletter: "Clamlines" is published at irrigular intervals by the Giant Clam Research Group:
International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management
Coastal Aquaculture Centre
POB 438
Honiara
Solomon Islands