The Fishery Ministry has announced that the authority has established the Madang marine industrial park that will work towards making Papua New Guinea the world’s tuna capital. The park is expected to increase fisheries benefits to local fishermen, fishing groups and will be a big boost to the national coffers.
The fishing industry getting less than 40 percent of expected export revenue because of the lack of on-shore processing facilities. The Fishing Ministry wants to raise the stake between 80 and 100 percent, which would generate many employments for locals and boost the economic growth of the country. Ben Semri, Fisheries Minister, said that the fishing industry is a billion kina gold mine. He was opening PNG’s very own first ever fish processing and cold storage facility. He added that the industry failed to benefit fully due to lack of on-shore facilities. He also informed that PNG’s fish and fish products has large markets of Asia, especially Taiwan and Philippines.
Semri added that the department now needs to finalise a policy framework that will guide the number of processing facilities needed and properly regulate it to become the world’s tuna capital. He also informed that the department mulls to establish six or seven processing facilities in PNG. And for this an agreement had been signed with the owners for the land to be leased for 100 years.
