Giant Clams Hit a Conservation Roadblock! Balancing Marine Conservation Against the Indigenous Tao People's Traditional "Shell Lime" Culture

In May 2022, the Ocean Conservation Administration (hereafter OCA) announced a proposed amendment to Point 5 of the "Marine Protected Wildlife Species List," which would classify seven species of giant clam — including Tridacna squamosa, Tridacna noae, and Tridacna maxima — as precious and rare marine protected wildlife*. Nearly a year after the announcement, however, the Ocean Wild Animal Conservation Advisory Committee of the Ocean Affairs Council resolved that the seven giant clam species would "not be listed as marine protected wildlife for the time being." This article takes an in-depth look at the conflicts and contradictions that emerged throughout the decision-making process, examining the challenges facing giant clam conservation.

*The Marine Protected Wildlife Species List is divided into three conservation levels: Category I — Endangered Wildlife; Category II — Precious and Rare Wildlife; Category III — Other Wildlife Requiring Conservation.

Why Do Giant Clams Need Conservation?

Giant clams belong to the phylum Mollusca, class Bivalvia — they are filter feeders that draw in seawater through their siphons and extract food particles from it. Beyond their impressive size relative to other bivalves, another defining characteristic is that, like coral, they host vibrantly coloured symbiotic algae. They also contribute to reef building and water filtration, making them ecologically significant. In many environmental assessment reports, giant clams are regarded as indicator species.

However, according to OCA survey results from 2021, giant clam populations in Taiwan's surrounding waters have been affected by marine pollution, climate change, harvesting pressure, and human disturbance. Adult proportions and population densities are generally low, and overall numbers have declined.

Already scarce, giant clams are listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Domestically, only Penghu County Government and Taitung County Government have banned giant clam harvesting, with only a handful of counties, cities, or protected areas having any regulatory framework in place. The OCA therefore sought to strengthen management by invoking the Wildlife Conservation Act, which prohibits the capture, trade, display, exhibition, possession, import, export, breeding, or farming of protected species.

Listing Giant Clams as Precious and Rare: Orchid Island's Tao People Fear Cultural Impact

When the OCA announced its intention to raise the conservation status of giant clams, significant pushback followed — with concerns that stricter regulations and restrictions would impact indigenous culture. "Shell lime culture" was recognised in 2021 as an exclusive right under Indigenous Traditional Intellectual Creations. The practice of firing shell lime is a traditional cultural custom of the Tao people of Orchid Island, who use giant clams and rock snails (Thais spp.) as raw materials. According to the Indigenous Traditional Intellectual Creations Protection Information Network, shell lime serves many functions in Tao traditional culture, including:

Giant Clams and Rock Snails Are Fired into Shell Lime, Which Can Be Used For...

1. Welcoming guests: When visitors come to the home, betel nut must be offered as a gesture of hospitality. The betel nut must be prepared with betel leaf and shell lime; without this customary offering, a person is considered to have poor social relations and to lack proper etiquette.

2. Raw material for the tatala (traditional canoe): The traditional tatala is painted in only three colours — black, white, and red — and the white colour is produced using shell lime. Without a fresh coat of shell lime to renew the canoe, it cannot set out to sea.

3. Traditional healing: Elders believe that applying shell lime around a boil accelerates wound healing; in an era before modern medicine, there was also a tradition of applying shell lime to areas of pain accompanied by prayers.

4. Warding off evil: When a child has a nightmare, elders scatter shell lime around the child while reciting protective words. Shell lime has traditionally been used to repel evil spirits and dispel curses.

What Concerns Arise from Elevating Giant Clam Conservation Status?

Syaman Macinanao (謝永泉), the representative rights holder of the shell lime cultural intellectual creation and a member of the Langdao community on Orchid Island, writes in The Seasons of Orchid Island: The Inheritance of Tao Marine Culture that the Tao people fire shell lime during only one month in the entire year — the lunar month known as Kaneman (approximately October). During this month, all major activities on land and sea come to a halt, and firing shell lime is the sole permitted undertaking.

"To fire shell lime, we'd have to formally apply for permission to collect giant clams — we'd be furious." Syaman Macinanao went on to explain that the giant clam shells used for firing must have been collected the previous year or the year before, left to weather naturally through wind, sun, and rain — only then are they suitable for firing. Under the Wildlife Conservation Act and its management regulations, an application must be submitted at least 20 days before any harvesting activity, which conflicts with established cultural practice.

Syaman Macinanao also added that once the northeast monsoon arrives, no one ventures out to sea for roughly six months in winter, during which time giant clams naturally grow larger. "The time available to collect giant clams is very limited. The biggest mistake people make is assuming we go out and dig them up every day."

Several cultural scholars have further argued that regulating the use of natural resources — or even requiring prior approval — amounts to a denial of indigenous sovereignty and maritime culture, and have called for greater respect toward indigenous peoples' traditional cultural rituals and use of traditional territories.

The Next Steps for Giant Clam Conservation

Reviewing the meeting records of the Ocean Wild Animal Conservation Advisory Committee, expert and academic advisory members offered the following perspectives from an ecological conservation standpoint:

• Professor Lin Hsing-Juh of National Chung Hsing University recommended continuing to survey giant clam populations, distribution, and usage patterns, noting that "management discussions can only move forward on a scientific basis."

• Professor Shao Kwang-Tsao of Academia Sinica suggested that indigenous people should, like researchers, be required to apply in advance for harvesting permits (specifying species, location, and quantity). "If the number harvested falls below the minimum viable population size, harvesting should no longer be permitted, in keeping with the spirit and purpose of conservation."

• Professor Jeng Ming-Shiou of Academia Sinica stated: "Shell lime does not necessarily have to come from giant clams. I recommend promoting alternative materials more actively; it is not appropriate to continue using giant clams as the only species." He also recommended that relevant government conservation agencies take stock of current usage patterns and economic value, stressing that conservation efforts should not be halted simply because a small number of people need to use the resource. He emphasised that "the later conservation action is taken, the more difficult it becomes."

• The representative from the Council of Indigenous Peoples reiterated that the Yami (Tao) people of Orchid Island do not use giant clams frequently, emphasising that shell lime culture had been lost for a long time and must be properly preserved. They also cited the Indigenous Peoples Basic Act in calling for respect for indigenous traditional culture.

After an exchange of views from all sides, the committee's convener — OCA Director-General Huang Hsiang-Wen — identified the central issue as "respecting the traditional cultural use rights of indigenous peoples" and honouring their cultural needs. In the near term, beyond continuing to invest in giant clam conservation work — such as local stewardship initiatives in Penghu, Hualien, and Taitung, as well as breeding and restoration programmes in collaboration with the Fisheries Research Institute — the OCA will strengthen data collection on giant clam usage and resource monitoring.

Director-General Huang also indicated that local governments would be encouraged to evaluate relevant conservation measures under the Fisheries Act, such as announcing harvesting bans. As for whether giant clams will ultimately be listed as a protected species, that will depend on further development of relevant legislation (such as the Wildlife Conservation Act), the formulation of an appropriate management framework, and the achievement of consensus before any final assessment is made.

In June 2023, visitors witnessed a seafood business in Kenting displaying and selling wild giant clams — yet there was no law under which a penalty could be imposed. Incidents of illegal giant clam poaching continue to occur, underscoring the urgency of giant clam conservation. That said, conservation policy must be grounded in sufficient data, which highlights the critical importance of building a biological database. Long-term resource monitoring and record-keeping are what enable the data to speak — and to serve as a vital reference for policy formulation.

Although the seven giant clam species have not been listed as marine protected wildlife for the time being, the Ocean Wild Animal Conservation Advisory Committee resolved to continue engaging with relevant indigenous communities, experts, academics, and government agencies to "deliberate on multi-use and conservation approaches." How can marine conservation and indigenous traditional culture coexist and thrive together? The future direction of giant clam conservation policy will stand as a landmark case.

References:

• News Release — Ocean Affairs Council Announces Proposal to List Seven Giant Clam Species as Precious and Rare Protected Animals

• Ocean Wild Animal Conservation Advisory Committee of the Ocean Affairs Council — 2nd Term, 3rd Regular Meeting Minutes

• The Seasons of Orchid Island: The Inheritance of Tao Marine Culture

• Indigenous Traditional Intellectual Creations Protection Information Network

• Management Regulations for Indigenous Peoples' Hunting, Slaughtering, and Use of Wildlife Based on Traditional Cultural and Ritual Needs

• Protecting Giant Clams Together — Hope for Conservation Policy and Indigenous Traditional Culture to Coexist and Thrive

• Precious Giant Clams Fail to Gain Protected Status — Seafood Shop in Kenting Found Selling Them Openly

Further Reading:

• 【BlueTrend Classroom】Marine Protected Species Get an Upgrade! Can You Identify the 3 Common Giant Clam Species Found in Taiwan?

• Catching Napoleon Wrasse by Rod Is Acquitted — The Battle to Protect Endangered Species: Where Does the Law Fall Short?