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Land identified for ship yard
By JASON SOM KAUT
LAND has been identified for the proposed development of a ship building
facility in Wewak, East Sepik province.
Frabelle PNG president Agusto Natividad said this during a farewell
dinner last Wednesday night hosted by the provincial government for
delegates of the Partners of the Nauru Agreement study tour of fishing
facilities in the country.
“A shipyard and net repair yard are being planned in Wewak. It is still
in the concept stages but the East Sepik provincial government has
identified land that can be developed,” Mr Natividad said.
He said the facility was planned initially in Lae, but the project was
not viable for Lae due to the rainy weather, thus it was decided that
Wewak was the best option.
“Wewak is an ideal spot to build the proposed facility and there are
many transshipment activities in the area so it is a very viable,” he
said.
The ship building and net repair yard is expected to provide a
much-needed service to the shipping industry and create employment for
locals.
The project will address the lack of service activities to serve fishing
boats and processing plants, which should see increased performance in
the fishing industry.
“The value of these services can also run to millions giving added value
to the fishing industry,” Mr Natividad said.
A shipyard will see machinery, fabrication of boat supplies, can making
processes, net repairing and other related activities.
Mr Natividad escorted the PNA delegates on a tour of Lae’s and PNG’s
premier fish factories, the International Food Corporation (IFC) and the
Frabelle – Frescommer factories.
Frabelle hosted the delegates to a luncheon at the Lae International
Hotel and later some of them toured the rainforest habitat.
The group’s visit to Lae ended with a dinner hosted by Morobe Governor
Luther Wenge.
Local MPs who were invited but did not attend included Lae MP Bart
Philemon and member for Huon Gulf and Agriculture Minister Sasa Zibe.
 
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