PNG, Philippines sign deal for fishery development

Papua New Guinea and Philippines have forged an agreement to strengthen cooperation in fisheries development, according to The Manila Times.
The memorandum-of-understanding (MoU) was signed by Philippines agriculture secretary Emmanuel Piñol and PNG Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister Patrick Basa in Quezon City on Friday.
The MoU called on the department of agriculture-bureau of fisheries and aquatic resources (DA-BFAR) and PNG National Fisheries Authority (NFA) to boost “mutual cooperation, consultation, and exchange of technical assistance in fisheries research and development”.
“Under the MoU, we remain connected as regards fisheries data sharing, which provides us better access and control over our Philippine-flagged vessels operating in PNG, coordination on the Coral Triangle Initiative and fight against IUU (illegal, unreported, unregulated) fishing, among others.
“It also bolsters our closer ties with PNG on other matters such as food, especially rice production,” BFAR director Eduardo Gongona told the Times.
Under the new pact, a joint committee on fisheries cooperation (JCFC), composed of representatives from both countries, will be established.
The deal, which follows the first MoU signed by the two governments in 2009, will remain in force for five years and then reviewed for renewal.
PNG has an extensive and valuable fisheries sector ranging from inland river fisheries, aquaculture, coastal beche-de-mer and reef fisheries to the prawn trawl and large-scale deepwater tuna fisheries.