DlTEODUCTIOir 



The Sovemment of the Eepulilic of Panama, throii^ the V. S. Department of State, 

 in 19H7 req.-uested the United States Government to detail to Panama a shellflshery expert 

 to make a survey of the pearl oyster grounds along the Pacific coast of the Eepuljlic, with 

 the view of determining the cauae or causes of a rapid decline of this formerly valuahlo 

 fishery. The cooperative undertaking was organized and carried out under the program of 

 the Interdepartmental Committee on Scientific and Cultural Cooperation as a part of the 

 cooperation hetween the United States Government and the Governments of the other American 

 Eepuljlics. By January 19^8, all necessary arrangements made throu^ the Fish and Wildlife 

 Service of the U. S. Department of the Interior end the U. S. Department of State were 

 completed. 



The Panamanian Government agreed to provide a suitable ship, crew, and gear 

 necessary for field explorations to he conducted around the Archlpielago de las Perlas in 

 the Gulf of Panama and in the Gulf of Chiriq.ui. Throu^ the co-urtesy of Dr. Alexandro 

 Mendez P. , Director of the Museo Uaclonal in Panama, one room in the museum hullding was 

 set aside for office and laboratory work. Por field work the Ministerlo de Agricultura, 

 Comercio e Indilstriae assigned a former U. S. sutimarlne chaser, renamed CHUCUtfA, which was 

 adequately equlijped for work in shallow water. It gives me pleasure to acknowledge here 

 with thanks the efforts of Sr. Guillermo Mendez P., Ministerlo de Agrlcultura y Comercio, 

 Dr. Alfonso Tegelra, Secretario de Agricultura y Comercio, and Sr. Genaro L. Martinez, 

 Jefe de la Seccitfn de Miner fa y Pesca, in selecting competent personnel and providing 

 facilities and materials necessary for the siiccessful completion of the ei^iedltion. 

 Valuahle assistance in ohtaining information concerning the past history and present con- 

 dition of the pearl fishery was received from SeSora Carmen A. Mlrrf, Directora de 

 Istadfstica y Censo; Sr. Galileo PatiSo, Director de la Bihlloteca Hacionil in Panamat 

 Sr. Hermanos Pinel, pearl oyster dealer In Panamai Dr. J. Zetek, entomologist in charge of 

 the field office of the U. S. Department of Agriculture in Balhoaj and Mr. Pred A. Dnrllng, 

 economic analyst of the American Zmhassy in Panama. 



Tleld work around sparsely inhabited islands located several hundred miles away 

 from home hase could not have heen successfully accomplished without the most excellent 

 cooperation and help of w shipnatesi Sr. Genaro L. Martinez, who was in chfirge of the 

 expedition; Capt. Bstehan Peralta, master of the CHUCUtfAt Sr. Celedonia Pinzrfn, divert 

 and Pellx Bravo, his life-line tender. All of these persons not only did everything pos- 

 sihle to expedite and facilitate m^ field work, hut hy their thougjhtfulness and kindness 

 ^eatly contrlhuted to my personal comfort dtirlng the voyage. 



HISTC5RT or THE PEAEl PISHERT IH PANAMA^ 



Discoveries of the pearl grounds along the coast of the Hew World played an 

 important role in the expansion hy the Spaniards into the territories of Central and South 

 America. In many instances, the finding of rich pearl resources in shallow waters along 

 the coast of the newly discovered continent and arotind its many Islands w«is a powerful 

 stiimlus for eatahlishlng settlements and organizing trade with the Indians. Letters 

 written lay Columhus during the third voyage in 15^t and samples of gold, drugs, and pearls 

 which he himself sent to Spain, or which were hrou^t in hy his sailors, so aroused public 

 enthusiasm that many navigators, explorers, and adventurers hegan to organize eapeditlons 

 to seek the treasures of the lands of the "Western Ocean." 



Extensive exploitation of pearl oyster resotirces started almost immediately after 

 the discovery of the new territories. These activities were at first confined to the 

 section of the Atlantic shore of South America known since the early years of the l6th 

 century as the Pearl Coast. It extended from Cape de la Tela on the last to the Gulf of 

 Paria on the West, and included the present territorial waters of Columhia, Venezuela, and 



1/ This "brief account is 'baaed primarily on the writings of Ovledo (1535) • Washington 

 Irving (I831) , and Moak (l93li, 193«) and others listed in the •bihliograp}^^. 



