Local exporters worried

THE Beche-de-mer Exporters Association is concerned that not all revenues from the beche-de-mer (BDM) fishery are remitted back to the country.
Association president Harry Landu attributed this to the involvement of middle-men who are foreign buyers.
He said the association received complaints from exporters around the country and the association would pursue the matter with authorities.
Landu urged the National Fisheries Authority, as the regulator, to do something about the remittance issue regarding the K300 million industry.
“We are getting towards the end of the year and the NFA has not provided any updates on the stock assessment programme and their plans for the fishery going forward,” he said.
“The association has suggested a consultative approach to devise best strategies to ensure Papua New Guineans benefit from this resource.
The National Fisheries Authority is expected to hold a meeting for the beche-de-mer fishery stakeholders in Port Moresby later this month to discuss the fishery, harvest strategy and other issues.