Subsidiary eyed for beche-de-mer trade

THE New Ireland Development Corporation will establish a subsidiary company to buy and export beche-de-mer.
In a statement, the provincial government said this would ease the market congestion for the marine product and help local fishermen get better prices.
During its meeting on Feb 26, the provincial executive council considered the local sales and market conditions, and approved the business plan by the corporation to go into beche-de-mer trade and export business.
Local fishermen face over-supply in the markets during the buying season because there are only a few buyers.
Governor Sir Julius Chan said beche-de-mer was a delicacy for health-conscious people. The corporation can now liberalise the market for the benefit of New Irelanders.
The corporation is the commercial arm of the New Ireland government set up to generate businesses and provide a platform for local entrepreneurs and joint ventures with reputable partners.