Licensing of beche-der-mer an issue

By HELEN TARAWA
Fisheries Minister Patrick Basa told Parliament that Milne Bay has big problems with issuing of licences for beche-der-mer.
Basa was responding to questions by Samarai-Murua MP Isi Henry Leonard on the issuing of licences by the National Fisheries Authority.
“Beche-der-mer is a rare marine product that is very rich and is of high demand in the Asian market and is bound to be misused. I have just signed off for the harvesting which started in August and ends in October,” he said.
“According to the report so far, so many applicants apart from the existing licence holders, we have so many Papua New Guineans citizens partnering with other nationals getting into this business.
“The resource is very scarce and limited in quality and we have to respect and acknowledge the fact that we can over-harvest which would affect the future of this project.
“We have an issue with Milne Bay at the moment. Three companies in Milne Bay disputed on NFA board’s decision to issue licence. In issuing licences, the recommendations came from the province.
“We have a body in the province that has made decisions in relationship or partnership with NFA and fisheries offices in the province. They screen through all applications that qualify for this business.
“It is the province that makes a recommendations and the NFA board makes the decision. There is an appeal committee that also goes through and all the processes exhausted.
“With Milne Bay NFA board has allowed 142 tonnes of total allowable catch. This is so much which might affect the quantity or amount of BDM we have. There may be a lot of BDM but there is a possibility that we may have overfished. I’ve instructed the board to review the decision they have made on this quantity.”