TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Mollusk shells improve farmers' lives
Local residents from Serangan Island near Denpasar are now busy collecting mollusk shells to make unique handicrafts
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
L
ocal residents from Serangan Island near Denpasar are now busy collecting mollusk shells to make unique handicrafts.
Made Nuriani, one of the shell collectors, said the beautiful shapes and colors of the shells meant they had a high commercial value, which could improve the livelihood of many impoverished farmers on the island.
"We are lucky to find bulih sutra *silk shell* with soft colored lines. This type of shell has medicinal value. It can cure diseases like kidney problems," Nuriani said eloquently.
Nuriani works as a vendor at Melasti Beach. He sells handicrafts and other items, but in his free time collects mollusk shells, especially silk shells to make medicine.
He selects each shell and pairs them together according to their type.
"I can sell a tiny bottle of silk shells for between Rp 200,000 and Rp 300,000 *US$30*," he said.
Nuriani said it was difficult to find silk shells because they were a rare species. "It is like searching for gold," he smiled.
Together with friends, Nuraini creates handicrafts such as photo frames and other products.
Ketut Astri, one of the farmers, said that many people came to the island for the silk shells. "They look for the silk shells for medication. We usually mix the shells with citrus juices and fresh coconut oil to enhance their medicinal potency," Astri told The Jakarta Post.
Many shell pickers are elderly farmers.
"They can sell the shells and buy rice and food for their daily needs," Astri added.
Nuraini said he could collect three bottles of silk shells every month.
"We have regular customers, including a traditional Balinese healer who always uses them for various health care treatments," he said.
Local farmers also use the shells to treat wounds.
"Traditional healers often use shell powder to cure many diseases. The shells are rich in medicinal values because they come from the ocean," he said.
Nature, he said, had provided people with an abundant source of living things. "We have to preserve the sea and to keep it clean," he said adding farmers never exploited marine assets. "We take a small portion from the sea to prevent the sea from suffering environmental problems," said Nuriani.
