By Serah Aupong – EM TV News, Port Moresby
The National Fisheries Authority is confident that the fisheries industry in PNG will be able to align its activities to the Roadmap for Sustainable Pacific Fisheries.
The roadmap was adopted by Pacific Leaders in the recent leaders’ forum.
It has been called an ambitious roadmap, but the Managing Director of the NFA, John Kasu, says much of what is being proposed in the roadmap, is already practiced in PNG.
The regional roadmap has seven clear goals and 11 strategies on tuna fisheries and coastal fisheries.
Speaking during the Pacific Leaders Forum last week, James Movick, Director General of the Pacific Fisheries Forum Agency said “it is a major step forward in terms of both regional cooperation and integration as well as in terms of tuna fisheries cooperation.”
He said what this road map does that has not been done before is “set very clear quantifiable targets.”
One of these targets is to double the number of people who are employed within the fisheries sector.
John Kasu, NFA’s Managing Director, says PNG will exceed the 18, 000 employment target because of the number of tuna processing plants that are in the country.
While the numbers look good the challenge will be in ensuring the conditions of these jobs are just as good.
Mr Kasu says, “It is something we have not dealt with effectively but it is something we have recognised and are working alongside the Department of Labour on.”
Countries will be expected to score against the indicators on this road map in the next pacific leaders’ forum. Mr Kasu is confident; PNG will have a good scorecard.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=6yfaBpLeduo%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
