Fisheries trainees urged to be productive

 TWENTY-three men in East New Britain can now venture into commercial fishing operations after completing a five-week fisheries training in Rabaul.

Provincial fisheries adviser Mosley Babate told the participants at the presentation of their competency certificates that the training was to make them productive in society by creating employment and generating revenue for their communities.

He said the provincial government recognised the potential of the fisheries sector to become a revenue base for the province and it was supporting that potential in terms of funding such training programmes.

Babate said it promoted the provincial government’s plan to empower people in developing the local economy.

National Fisheries Authority and National Fisheries College representative Jerry Bagat said with Coastal Shipping given the contract to recruit crew personnel from Pacific countries, the training and certificates enabled participants to be employed in other countries.

Bagat challenged the men to work their way up to higher levels and not to sit on their skills and certificates. 

He said he wanted to see at least two or three participants become captains of ships by 2017.

The level one training course was supported by the NFA through the National Fisheries College in Kavieng, National Maritime Safety Authority, ENB provincial government and administration, NICTA, Fire Services, provincial fisheries division, Rabaul and Coastal Shipping.