The Fisheries sector witnessed the groundbreaking ceremony of the country’s largest cold storage facility to be set up in Lae, Morobe Province, by Nambawan Seafoods PNG Limited.
National Fisheries Authority Managing Director, Justin Ilakini confirmed through an official statement that the cold storage facility capacity will be 12,000-metric tons.
The ceremony was held at Portion 667, Busu Road in Lae, Mr. Ilakini said the US$20 million (over K80 million) investment will become the largest cold storage facility in the country once completed.
“This groundbreaking marks an important turning point for the fisheries sector. It reflects the success of policy, structural and legislative reforms introduced by the NFA since 2022 and endorsed by the Marape-Rosso Government,” Mr. Ilakini said.
He noted that Papua New Guinea’s tuna industry experienced its first major investment phase between the late 1990s and 2013, culminating in the establishment of six tuna processing plants. However, from 2013 to 2024, the sector saw no new foreign direct investment.
“The tide is now turning. Investor confidence has been restored, and we are witnessing the beginning of a second phase of strategic investments,” he said.
The new facility will significantly expand Nambawan Seafoods’ cold storage capacity from 2,000 metric tons to 14,000 metric tons, delivering major operational and economic benefits. These include:
• Increased inventory capacity to ensure consistent supply of raw tuna
and reduce production disruptions;
• An additional 18,000 metric tons of tuna processed annually;
• Increased daily production from 120–130 tons to 150–160 tons;
• Establishment of a new processing line for yellowfin and bigeye tuna steaks, with a capacity of 20–30 tons per day;
• Creation of 400–500 new jobs, increasing the company’s workforce
to approximately 2,200 employees;
• Additional storage support for Majestic Tuna Corporation.
Mr. Ilakini highlighted that the investment will increase Papua New Guinea’s total tuna cold storage capacity by more than 60 percent from 16,550 metric tons to 28,550 metric tons addressing key industry bottlenecks and improving efficiency across the sector.
He also called on provincial governments, businesses, and local communities to support such investments, noting that strong partnerships are essential for sustained economic growth in the sector.
