Lae MP wants to know why fresh-fish depot not in use

LAE MP John Rosso is cannot explain why a K1.5 million depot for selling fresh fish in Lae Main Market remains unused more than one year after opening.
The National Fisheries Authority-funded facility has not been used since it was opened in Nov 2017.
“I don’t have the copy of the agreement,” Rosso said.
“I am also trying to find out why the fish market remains idle instead of serving its desired purpose.
“There is a great need for fresh fish locally.”
It cost K420,000 for Overseas Fishery Cooperation Foundation (OFCF) of Japan to install the interior equipment including a plate ice machine, blast freezer, cooling storage, office, toolroom and mini fish selling and buying point.
The blast freezer can hold 250kg fish.
The cold storage caters for one tonne of fish while the plate ice-machine produces 140kg of ice cubes in 24 hours.
The raw fish, after processing, are stored in the blast freezer before being moved to a cooler
using ice cubes made from rain water.
Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister Patrick Bassa and NFA managing director John Kasu opened the facility on Nov 10, 2017, and handed over the keys to provincial fisheries chairman Philemon Tomala.
Bassa said that the facility would be managed by NFA, Morobe Fisheries Management Authority (MFMA) and Lae City Council.
In March 2017, acting MFMA manager John Joseph told The National that the NFA and MFMA agreed to hand over the facilities to Lae Main Market under the care of Lae City Authority.
MFMA will be responsible f
or the management of the equipment.
Lae Urban Council commerce manager Jeffery Biayaha said the facility had no defined owner and a memorandum of understanding signed between stakeholders MFMA, NFA, Morobe provincial government and city council.
“The council, as the custodian of main market, is currently taking care of the facility without a defined owner,” he said.