Fishing device for villages

 SIX inshore fish aggregating devices have been placed along the Labu coastline to hopefully increase fish stock in the area and help improve the livelihood of the three Labu communities.

The devices are funded by the Japanese Fund Poverty Reduction scheme under the Asian Development Bank-funded tidal basin project which is expected to transform Lae port into a modern, busy one.

The funds are managed by the Independent Public Business Corporation through the Morobe provincial administration which contracted Lae-based company Fish Tech that specialises in building the devices.

Each device includes a solar panel and lights on a cone-like top which sits on its main three-piece floating body and has a tail that includes dry pandanus fronds and two concreted 44-gallon drums as its anchor.

According to marine biologist John Ben, who is engaged in the project, the devices will slow down the movement of fast-migrating and big fish like tuna. 

They will be drawn to the smaller fish that will lurk around the devices, feeding off from the algae and other marine micro-organisms.

“This will see an increase in the fish stock in the local fishing ground leading to bigger catches and eventually raising the income level and livelihood of the Labu people,” Ben said.

Ben, Fish Tech’s Iven Bameasi, PNG Ports Corporation compliance officer Wesley Abegul, chairman of the Labu lead group Danny Watu, Labu leader Mondo Sigar and several fishermen representatives from Labu Butu, Labu Miti and Labu Tale joined Captain Dante Faildo, of Frabelle Fish Corp’s cargo vessel Dandelion, to place the six devices.

The earliest Labu fishermen can fish around the devices is three weeks from now when there is a likelihood of fish presence there.