PNG to host tuna dialogues

PAPUA New Guinea will host tomorrow dialogues on tuna management issues with partners under the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) and the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA).
The meet will be held for two days at the Crowne Plaza in Port Moresby.
“It will take up market and market opportunities for tuna, international trade and trade barriers, tuna research development and prospects for the tuna industry in the region,” National Fisheries Authority (NFA) managing director Sylvester Pokajam said.
NFA and INFORFISH would co-host the event.
Mr Pokajam reiterated that the conference was important for PNG and the region as many of the fishing partner-countries lacked infrastructure, lacked operational capacities in terms of manpower and lacked air and sea freight services.
“PNG we can do a lot with our tuna … you find that the other Pacific Island countries are small, have limited resource and they cannot do much with value-adding because of these constraints.
Mr Pokajam said PNG, Solomons, Fiji and Vanuatu had the needed infrastructure.
With just a day to go before the second Pacific tuna forum kicks off tomorrow, NFA had so far raised K255,000 – half of the total estimated funding cost of K500,000.
Yesterday, Mr Pokajam, who was accompanied by NFA’s executive manager Welete Wararu and staff, met with representatives from some sponsoring companies and groups.
Mr Pokajam received a cheque for K5,000 from Allen Manid of Eastern Highlands-based Mukitu Agricultural Supplies.
Mr Manid falls in the bronze category of sponsors who would chip in K5,000 each.
Others in this category are PNG Ports Corp, National Development Bank (NDB), PNG Power Ltd, Pest Care, Manus Fishing Corp, and Island Mobile Hire Car Ltd, among others.
Also present yesterday were Sam Era of Pest Care, Gibson Wuktumi of International Food Corp and Rakatani Raka of Elemi Lawyers – each contributing K15,000 (silver category).
Chipping in  K30,000 each  under the gold category are Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ), and SATCOMS Australia and Absolute Software (Aust) Ltd.
Jerewai Lawyers pledged K2,500.
About 250 participants are expected to attend, with 150 from overseas who would include reputable speakers with knowledge and background in fish industry.