Drones given to keep Forestry in the air

By JASON DOM
THE PNG Forest Authority (PNGFA) has received four drones donated by Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) for forest monitoring and research purposes.
They include three of the latest DJI Mavic 2 Pro drones and a DJI Phantom 4 Pro.
The presentation took place at the PNGFA headquarters in Port Moresby on Friday after 16 staff members were trained to fly them.
Drone training coordinator Perry Malan told The National that the introduction of drone technology at PNGFA would enhance the monitoring of forests and minimise costs.
“Being the regulator, manager and monitoring agency of forest resources in the country, the PNGFA saw that the use of drone technology would contribute effectively,” he said. “It will contribute to PNGFA in ways such as plantation management of forests, natural forest monitoring and forest research purposes.”
Malan said most drone pilots came from Vanimo and Kimbe, where logging was big.
Perry said the training of drone pilots followed a course in global positioning system and geographic information system in 2014.