Best practices ‘key for PNG’

The National Business
Fishing Industry Association (PNG) Inc director of sustainability Marcelo Hidalgo speaking to the participants during the three days training in Lae yesterday.

THE best sustainable and accountable practices of PNG’s fishing industry enabled it to maintain its demand on the global market in recent times, an official says.
Fishing Industry Association (PNG) director of sustainability, Marcelo Hidalgo, said for one, exporting tuna had become expensive as a result of increasing logistic cost brought about by the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

Participants at training in Lae yesterday conducted by the Fishing Industry Association in collaboration with consultancy organisation Seafoodmatter listening about best practices.

“The only reason we still have a market is because of our best practices that are clearly demonstrated through transparency like our annual reports, the quantities caught,” he said.
Hidalgo said FIA PNG’s responsible sourcing policy set the country’s fishing industry apart from other countries.

Fishing Industry Association (PNG) Inc director of sustainability Marcelo Hidalgo speaking to the participants as they sat in groups of six for an exercise to discuss a topic out of three provided: quality, sustainability and social accountability.

“This is part of our commitment launched in 2018 where we’ve been working on improving human rights and social accountability,” he said. “On global markets where tuna is being sold – retailers are asking what we’re doing to look after crew members – with regards to their human right at sea.
“We developed a robust due diligence where we took internal initiative to develop our policies and procedures and requested international support; international organisations reviewed our policies and made comments.
“Last year, we did our first internal audit and assessment where each fishing companies detected their gaps internally and worked on addressed.
“Not many companies in the world are doing what PNG is doing; FIA

Participants attending a training in Lae yesterday conducted by the Fishing Industry Association (FIA PNG) in collaboration with consultancy organisation Seafoodmatter.

PNG is becoming a regional leader or example of a responsible management of a fishery, not only in sustainable and environmental but also social and looking at human rights of crew members at sea.”