Policies set guidelines in managing ocean resource: Kwa

A FULLY developed National Oceans Policy will set out guidelines on how the resources sector and other entities will gain access to the ocean, secretary for the department of Justice and Attorney-General (DJAG) Eric Kwa says.
Kwa made the remarks when opening a three-day National Oceans Forum yesterday, which aims to open dialogue on how to develop the new policy and discuss the country’s maritime issues. “Once the policy is complete, it will set the guidelines on the issuance of licenses for mining, fishing and explorations in the oceans which will help us to manage our maritime resources,” he said.
“We must be happy that we have not fully used the ocean because if we had, we would have already destroyed it.”
Kwa said important stakeholders such as the National Fisheries Authority, National Maritime Safety Authority, Mineral Resources Authority, academics, non-government organisations and DJAG will work together on the policy.
Prof Chalapan Kaluwin from the University of Papua New Guinea, when giving a technical presentation about oceans, said the policy would cover other aspects apart from the ocean alone.
Kaluwin said this was because activities that happened on land such as mining affected the ocean in the form of tailings considering the experience of the OK Tedi mine as well as the more recent slurry spillage in Madang.
He said fisheries in the Oceania region was a major contributor to the world with 40 per cent of global bluefin tuna stocks caught in this part of the world which was why PNG needed to ensure its waters were safeguarded.