Passenger left disappointed

A passenger on board the Pacific Aria bound for Madang last week was disappointed when the cruise ship had to turn around following a hoax anthrax alarm in the province.
The tourist, Evelyn Fenske, emailed Madang-based Melanesian Tourist Services Ltd managing director Sir Peter Barter to say how upset she was.
“No words can describe the shock, disbelief, despair and anger of being within swimming distance to Madang and Graged (Krangket) Island and not being able to get there,” Fenske said.
“I have been reading the newspaper articles from The National and Post Courier, and it is even more heartbreaking.
“I feel very sad and upset for you as all the people in Madang who put so much effort into making this visit spectacular and memorable.
“It feels like a bad nightmare.
“I hope to return some day but not with P & O. I will be writing to their head office and expressing my feelings about what happened.”
Sir Peter said Fenske was the daughter of Art and Rita Fenske who lived on Graged (Krangket Island) for 50 years.
“The Fenske family are highly respected in Madang and within the Lutheran Church. The family was visiting Madang specially to visit the people of Graged Island who had prepared a marvellous welcome for them,” he said.
The alleged anthrax outbreak in Madang was mistakenly linked to the death of pigs of Karkar Island.
The National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority (Naqia) said it investigated the deaths of pigs on the island during the New Year holiday.
In a statement, Naqia managing director Joel Alu said tests done on samples collected were inconclusive but further confirmatory testing was organised abroad.
But Alu said based on clinical diagnosis and historical data, the event appeared to be pig-specific anthrax or pig-adapted anthrax.