Include us in project, local says

NO awareness or consultation has been carried out by authorities to inform people living in South Fly, Western, of a proposed large scale fishing project in Daru, a local says.
Faulkingham Jogo, from Masingara village in the Oriomo-Bituri local level government, said the recent announcement of a US$200 million (K707.8mil) fishing project between Papua New Guinea and China should be inclusive.
He said the proposed project had over-looked certain considerations that would affect the socio-economic livelihood and security of “our people, their land and sea”.
Jogo said the project would not only impact people in Western but affect Torres Strait Islanders on the Australian border.
He said the memorandum of agreement between the Government and a Chinese fisheries company had caused anxiety and confusion among the people.
Jogo said the people were concerned about their interests (employment and business opportunities) and environmental impacts.
Jogo said many in the district were in favour of the project because of the economic and developmental benefits that would come with it.
However, he said the Torres Strait Treaty which covers the welfare of the area’s traditional inhabitants needed to be taken into account.
Jogo was concerned that there was:

• NO consultation and awareness by provincial and Government on the project;
• NO consideration of the threat to the people of the Torres Strait Islands and South Fly;
• LITTLE regard for the traditional fishing grounds of the people;
• NO clear statement on benefits for the people; and,
• A DISREGARD for the related security issues.