Ensuring a Sustainable Future through Fisheries: What are we doing?
The PNG fisheries zone of 2.4 million square kilometres is the largest in the South Pacific. It provides the nation not only with export earnings but provides subsistence communities with a valuable source of income on which they rely for their economic survival. Much of PNG’s domestic fish consumption comes via inshore reef fishing, with women contributing between 20 to 50 percent of the annual catch.
Tuna remains PNG’s key fisheries export with bech-der-mer, prawn, lobster and barramundi offering further export potential. Around 18% of the world’s total tuna stock is found in PNG and annually, about three-quarters of a million tonnes of tuna is caught in PNG waters with most landed in other countries for further processing. Nevertheless, PNG faces challenges to realise its full potential from its pre-eminent global position.
