Recommissioned facility to help fishers maintain quality

FISHERMEN and women in Manus can now maintain the quality of their catch with the recommissioning of a fish processing and cold storage facility in Lorengau.
Jointly funded by the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), the facility was part of NFA’s coastal fisheries development, according to Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister Dr Lino Tom.
He said during the opening ceremony that this was the first stage of this project and the next stage was the development of a jetty.
NFA was contributing about K5 million into the second phase for the development of the jetty.
“We also have other big initiatives. The Drauke fishing facility which we want to develop, we have made the decision and K30 million is allocated for the facility,” Tom said.
“Tuna caters for about 90 per cent of the revenue we generate at NFA but not a lot of people participate in it, only big companies.
“This is to make it easy for the people to go out fishing and bring back their catch and maintain the quality of the fish to process, store and sell to markets. In doing so, we want to put money into the pockets of the people in the villages.”
NFA acting managing director Justin Ilakini said: “This is part of government’s major plan to broaden the fisheries industry and develop other fisheries sectors such as inland, coastal and aquatic fisheries and not to depend solely on tuna.
“Tuna fisheries is PNG’s biggest and the most valuable resources but the majority of people do not directly participate in tuna, they participate in inland fisheries, coastal fisheries and aquaculture fisheries.
“For the last two and half years, we have been doing everything possible that we respond to the policy directive.
“The recommissioning of the fisheries facility is an implementation of this policy where we have worked very closely with development partners like Jica, under bilateral agreement with Japan in building vital coastal fisheries facilities and infrastructure in coastal maritime provinces.”
“NFA officers will be going around to a number of fisheries cooperatives to set them up.”