May 17, 2011

 

 

Papua New Guinea is focused to become one of the world's leading fish processing nations by processing a larger catch and encouraging other Pacific nations to send fish to its canneries.

 

Sixty percent of the world's tuna caught is in the Pacific, and over the past decade, fish processing has become a major employer in Papua New Guinea.

 

But the eight tuna-rich Pacific Island nations, known as the PNA group, have struggled to bring jobs onshore, according to Papua New Guinea's National Fisheries Authority managing director Sylvester Pokajam.

 

"We are looking at the fishery within the PNA of about 1.2 million tonnes sustainably harvested every year," Pokajam said.

 

"We want to also extend our call to the Pacific, especially the PNA countries, to earn more from their resources rather than just relying on the access fees so we try to develop in that are to see how we can all work together as one group to benefit together."

 

Radio Australia's Pacific Economic and Business reporter, Jemima Garrett says Papua New Guinea could still become a rising power in fish-processing even without the help of other Pacific nations.

 

Growth in the fish-processing sector in recent years has been driven by the duty-free and quota-free access Papua New Guinea gets to the European market as a result of its interim Economic Partnership Agreement with the EU.

 

The industry now employs more than 9000 people in Papua New Guinea and expansion plans at the IFC cannery in Lae will add another 1,200 jobs.

 

Another 12,000 jobs could be created by three other well-progressed new investments, our reporter says.

 

Managing Director of Papua New Guinea 's National Fisheries Authority, Sylvester Pokajam, says most of the new investment is in Morobe Province.

 

"The Governor of Morobe Province is very supportive and his support is that he wants jobs," Pokajam said. "He does not want anything else just jobs, jobs, jobs and I think that is a very good approach to it. People are available to be employed so this is more or less the centre for PNG."

 

Pokojam says that job growth is forecast to continue, and rejected suggestions that tuna fishing over the long term may be unsustainable.

 

"This is a sustainable industry and the jobs will remain forever," Pokajam said. "We are looking at direct employment of 30,000."

 

The development of Papua New Guinea's fish processing sector has not been without criticism.

 

In cities such as Madang and Wewak there have been complaints about low pay, poor conditions and pollution by fish processing plants.

 

Nonetheless, Papua New Guinea 's National Fisheries Authority says there are clear economic benefits in having tuna caught in the Pacific processed by Pacific, rather than Asian, nations.