Project to boost fisheries sector

The National Business
Fishermen from Morobe Patrol Post with fish at Voco Point to be sold in Lae. – Nationalpic by GLORIA BAUAI

By GLORIA BAUAI
Fisheries and Marine Resource Minister Dr Lino Tom says the Voco Point Coastal Fisheries Hub will be a game changer for coastal fisheries development in the country.
Tom said the project would turn the trend in the fishing sector so the benefits would now trickle down to average citizens and boost the provincial economy.

Fisheries and Marine Resource Minister Dr Lino Tom (right) chatting with Morobe health authority chief executive officer Dr Kipas Binga during the launch of Voco Point Coastal Fisheries Hub in Lae last week. – Nationalpic by GLORIA BAUAI

He said for too long, apart from beche-de-mer (sea cucumber), fisheries projects were driven by big companies.
Tom said this hub would create the missing market for Papua New Guineans, which was in line with the Fisheries Strategic Plan 2021-2030, especially to develop the non-tuna sub-sectors.

Fishermen from Morobe Patrol Post sorting fish into coolers at Voco Point to distribute in Lae. – Nationalpic by GLORIA BAUAI

“It is widely understood that fish landings for small to medium scale fisheries, and subsequent marketing efforts are not optimal,” he said.
“Fish are not handled and processed in an efficient way that supports quality and value, resulting in waste and lower than optimal financial returns to fishers.”
Tom said the project’s concept had been developed with the aim to boost the sector for the benefit of local fishermen and fishing communities.

Dignitaries at the launching of the Voco Point Coastal Fisheries Hub – fish landing and processing facility in Lae last Friday. – Nationalpic by LARRY ANDREW

Morobe Governor Ginson Saonu, during the launch last Friday, said market access had been the main concern for coastal fishermen and inland fish farmers. Saonu said there was a need to maintain a consistent supply of fish in the market and in return ensure locals had a source of income.
He thanked the initiative by NFA and added that the province needed to take ownership of such initiatives and investments. Tom said NFA had created a company that would go into the commercial space to assist and partner with provincial governments and municipal authorities to generate revenue from the fishing sector.
He said the Voco Point Coastal Fisheries Hub model would be replicated in Southern and New Guinea Islands.