Total value of exported canned, tuna loins K1.6bil: Association

The National Business

THE country’s total value of exported canned and tuna loins to the European Union (EU) market last year was US$505 million (K1.6 billion), according to the PNG Fishing Industry Association.
President Sylvester Pokajam said this during the PNG-European Union Business Conference which coincided with the Investment Week in Port Moresby last week.
Pokajam said the country’s export to the EU market was increasing steadily from about US$117 million (K378mil) in 2012.
After the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement, an agreement that allows the United Kingdom to provide duty-free quota-free access to goods from PNG and other Pacific states, was signed in July 2009, the export increased to about US$249 million (K800mil) in 2016, and was still growing.
He further made comparisons of the country’s exports saying that in 1995 when the fishing industry was under the Department of Marine and Fisheries Resources, the value of exports was K22 million, when the National Fisheries Authority was established in 1998, total export was K131 million while in 2017, the export was K1.3 billion.
Pokajam spoke about sustainability in fishing and said presently the market was not driving sustainability rather towards traceability.
He said one of the bodies that was established to create a reward system for sustainable fishing was the Marine Steward Council (MSC).
“At the heart of the MSC is its standard: the principles and criteria of sustainable fishing,” he said.
The principles includes:

  • Sustainable fishing stock: fisheries must operate in a way that
    allows fishing to continue indefinitely without over exploiting the resources;
  • minimising environmental impacts: fishing operations need to be managed to maintain the structure, productivity, function and diversity of the ecosystem upon which the fishery depends including other species and habitats; and,
  • Effective management: all fisheries need to meet all local, national and international laws and have an effective management system in place.

“Sustainability is paramount in everything we do,” Pokajam said.
He also gave an update of fishing vessels in the country saying there were 26 PNG flag vessels and 35 locally-based foreign vessels, a total of 61 fishing vessels.
“Based on full capacity of the six processing plants, PNG is already processing 48 per cent of the catch by the PNG flag vessel and locally-based foreign vessels,” he said.