Nation leads Pacific in developing tuna resources

 PAPUA New Guinea continues to lead the Pacific Island countries as the region works on developing and benefit from its tuna resources, Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister Mao Zeming says.

He said during the fifth Pacific Tuna Forum in Nadi, Fiji, yesterday, that Pacific countries should develop the fishing industries as well as establish fish processing industries to process tuna.

“PNG is leading the Pacific region in this area as we are seeing growth in the number of PNG flagged purse seine fishing vessels and have five operational tuna processing plants. A new 200 metric tonne/day processing capacity tuna plant will be inaugurated for operation in the last quarter this year,” Zeming said.

“I wish to however echo my statement to the small island states in the Pacific Island Forum that was held in Port Moresby earlier this month on the need for us to work together so that we as Pacific Island Countries (PICs) can increase the level of our participation in the various stages of the value chain in the tuna fishing and processing industries.”

Fiji Minister for Fisheries and Forests Osea Naiqamu said: “A World Bank study estimates the catch value of tune in our region at US$2.4 billion (K6.9 billion). The questions that need to be asked are: what portion of this value is realised within our region? 

“How can the PICs, as custodians of the resource also participate in fishing, processing and trading of the tuna resource?

“Maybe it’s time for a restructure of the whole industry. Maybe we need to reduce the number of distant water fishing nations’ vessels that fishing our region as well as the overall number of fleets.

“In order that we make sure that development is sustainable and that the common good comes before sectional interests. So that we leave the Pacific to our children and grandchildren in a better state than when we inherited it.”