Boost for tuna forum

By FRANK ASAELI
THE holding of the Pacific tuna forum received a big funding boost yesterday with PNG Fishing Industry Association (PNG FIA) chipping in K30,000 for the event.
The association’s funding assistance was received by National Fishing Authority managing director Sylvester Pokajam.
Likewise, Neptune Fishery Co Ltd and Equatorial Marine Resources Ltd each presented cheques worth K5,000, making them bronze sponsors.
So far, NFA has raised K190,000 for the holding of the two-day event on Sept 12 to 13.
It will be the first major tuna industry conference to be held in the Pacific islands region and is jointly organised by the INFOFISH based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
“On behalf on the PNG Fishing Industry Association, which is the association of all the fishing companies of not just tuna, the association is proud to be a gold sponsor, to support this very worthy conference,” PNG FIA chairman Maurice Brownjohn said after presenting the K30,000 cheque.
“It had taken 10 to 12 years to get it here, the forum in the Pacific yet, we are the ones with 50% of the global tuna resources,” he said.
“It is a very important conference, and very important for the future of NFA,” Mr Brownjohn stressed.
“We, the participants in the tuna industry of Papua New Guinea, especially in the tuna sector … we need to support the industry in Papua New Guinea,” PNG FIA deputy chairman Sir Henry Chow, who presented the cheque on behalf of Neptune Fishery, said.
He said all involved in the tuna industry would like to support it because PNG is the biggest tuna producer within the Pacific region.
The PNG production constitutes about 30% of the total catch in the Western and Central Pacific area.
 

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