Fisheries college to get upgrade

NATIONAL Fisheries College waterfront facilities in Kavieng will be redeveloped to enhance the fisheries sector, says National Fisheries Authority (NFA) managing director Justin Ilakini.
This follows a partnership between the NFA, the Department of National Planning and Monitoring, and Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica).
The signing ceremony took place last week and marked the start of the waterfront facilities’ redevelopment.
Ilakini said the college’s role as PNG’s premiere institution for fisheries and marine resources training, offered courses in coastal fisheries operations, post-harvest techniques, fisheries governance, aquaculture and fisheries business.
“New courses like trap net operations, value-adding refrigerator mechanics and onboard training (OBT) will be added, all in collaboration with the Overseas Fishery Cooperation Foundation of Japan (OFCF),” he said.
Jica’s preparatory survey team leader Masayuki Hayashi stressed the significance of the NFC project, not only for PNG but also for the broader Pacific region.
“Jica is committed to advancing the project following approval in Tokyo,” Hayashi said.