Maremco drives safe-fishing campaign

Lae News, Normal
Source:

The National – Wednesday, February 9, 2011

By PISAI GUMAR
A NON-governmental organisation in Lae is out to make coastal people appreciate sustainable fishing techniques and practices.
Marine resource management (Maremco) executive director Garry Benga said the organisation aimed to educate communities along Morobe coastline about safe keeping and usefulness of seas, coral reefs and taught them about sustainable fishing practices.
He said sustainable fishing practices and techniques were vital for coastal marine communities to protect their coral reef as “the breeding hub for fish species for long term benefit”.
It will educate rural fishermen from existing fishermen and women not to over fish and not to use dynamites and other chemicals to catch fish.
Benga said they would initiate inland fish farming to complement the projects.
He said Maremco aimed to work in collaboration with existing community-based management (CBM) sites and groups along the Huon Gulf, Labuta, Tewai-Siassi and Finschhafen.
The groups were established by the Morobe Coastal Fisheries Development Project (MCFDP).
However, due to management issues, the collaboration between MCFDP and CBM ended. 
Maremco has received funding from the United Nations Development Fund through its global environment fund to take educational awareness into rural communities.
Benga said the organisation left yesterday for Oro-Morobe border village of Gugumi to start the first awareness programme to be followed by Auno, Sapa, Mou and Bosadi villages in Morobe patrol post.