Siassi locals feeling pinch of plant closure

By JIMMY KALEBE
COMMERCIAL fishing for the people of the remote Siassi islands in Morobe has been non-existent for the last 11 years after a fisheries plant shut down in 2007.
The fisheries plant was funded by Siassi local level government under former Lae City Mayor late Royden Aigal to help fishermen of small islands around mainland Siassi.
Former councillor Matthew Martin blamed the shutting down of the ice plant and the building on mismanagement of funds.
Martin said when the plant was in operation, it served the people of Aromot, Aronai, Tuam, Malai and Mandok Islands as well as the main Siassi island.
“We are rich in marine resources but officers engaged to operate the facility did know how to run the project and maintain it,” he said.
Martin said a generator set was also in place to power the ice plant, but as leaders changed, new interests came in it was now run down.
Siassi LLG deputy president John Sylvanus said there was currently no funding to support fisheries development on the island.
“This is one of the major sources of income for the island community,” he said.
“The facility’s shutdown has affected revenue generation for the locals very much.”
“People feel that commercial fishing does not generate enough income, and have started digging up coral to make lime for sale. That is a huge destruction to coral and in a long run, all coral will be gone.”