by Serah Aupong – EM TV News, Port Moresby
The yellow card against the fisheries industry in Papua New Guinea has been lifted.
This announcement comes nearly two years since the warning was issued by the European Commission.
National Fisheries Board Chairman, Job Pomat, made this announcement today in the presence of the Chief Secretary, Sir Manasupe Zurenuoc.
The warning was issued to PNG because the industry was said to be operating with a lack of compliance and not using laws to combat illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing.
Since then, the National Fisheries Authority has worked with the National Government to put in place laws to rectify this situation.
Managing Director, John Kase, said work on legislation and policy has been done. At the policy level, the Tuna Management Plan and the Fisheries Management Act have been reviewed and endorsed by parliament while the authority is still working Fisheries Regulation.
While announcing this today, Job Pomat says while the yellow card warning has been lifted, NFA will continue to work hard to improve the industry.
“The reforms will continue,” he said, adding that PNG has aims to become the “tuna capital” of the world and work must continue to be done.
Meanwhile, John Kase says a challenge that remains for this year is a workplan on surveillance that NFA hopes to develop for the country.
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