Fishing industry to benefit from recently acquired certification: Official

By GYNNIE KERO
THE Papua New Guinea Fishing Industry Association (PNGFIA) says the country will significantly benefit from the recently achieved Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification if it follows all rules.
Last Monday, the association’s purse-seine skipjack and yellowfin tuna fishery received the MSC certification.
The certificate is for a five-year period and expires in 2025.
President Sylvester Pokajam stressed that investors would come to the country if all laws concerning immigration and labour were followed.
The country’s tuna industry is worth more than K1 billion in exports.
“If we get all policies right, we will benefit fully, K1.4 billion in tuna revenue is expected,” he said.
However, Pokajam also highlighted an outstanding issue last Friday which he said PNG could achieve.
“The harvest strategy and harvest control rules is an outstanding issue which MSC is saying if we don’t get Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) to adopt it as a measure this year, by next year all WCPFC members holding the certificates will no longer be active,” he said.
“It’s important for the National Fisheries Authority and Government to ensure harvest strategy and control rules be adapted at the commission this year. We (PNG) have achieved some big milestones.
“We have closed two high seas pockets, we have pulled out of the US Treaty, we have introduced the FIMS (fisheries information management system), we have established the PNA (Parties to the Nauru Agreement) office, we have done big things, this is small thing we can do.”
Fisheries Minister Dr Lino Tom, when commending PNG FIA last Friday, said the approval of the MSC certification of PNG purse seine skipjack and yellowfin tuna was timely.
NFA managing director John Kasu said the certification recognised PNG’s commitment to the sustainable management of its tuna fisheries.
He said it was the first step towards eventually pursuing MSC certification for other national fisheries such as the tuna longline yellowfin and albacore fishery, Gulf of Papua prawn fishery, mud crab fishery, Torres Strait and Western Province rock lobster fishery, and beche-de-mer.