I found this about coir saltiness:
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-...
>> the coconut palm tree (Cocos nucifera). Before being shipped to market, the seed is stripped of an external leathery skin and a 2-3 in (5-8 cm) thick intermediate layer of fibrous pulp. Fibers recovered from that pulp are called coir.
>> Fresh water is used to process brown coir, while sea water and fresh water are both used in the production of white coir.
Read more:
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-...
>> The husks of fully ripened coconuts yield brown coir. Strong and highly resistant to abrasion, ...
>> white coir comes from the husks of coconuts harvested shortly before they ripen. Actually light brown or white in color, this fiber is softer and less strong than brown coir.
I guess most of it is shipped from India and Sri Lanka
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Also:
http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/...
Traditional method:
>> highly polluting of surface waters and results in the accumulation of large dumps of pith.
>> generally in ponds of brackish waters (for three to six months) or in salt backwaters or lagoons. This requires 10-12 months of anaerobic (bacterial) fermentation.
>> yield the highest quality of (white) fibre for spinning and weaving.
