PNG Only Pacific Island Tuna Nation At ESEff

Papua New Guinea is the only South Pacific country that took part in the 13th European Seafood Exposition, this week, where 1500 exhibitors from 65 countries will showcase their sea food products.

Expedition leader Norman Barnabas said that the three-day expedition in Brussels had eight fisheries companies from PNG taking part. He said the PNG seafood exporters’ stand would draw huge interest because of the wide variety and quality of products that would be showcased over the next three days.

“Delta Fisheries, Yuwan Fisheries, Siwi Shipping and Maru Marine were showcasing fresh prawns, lobsters and crabs collected from the Gulf of Papua waters,” Mr. Barnabas said.

He said Equatorial Marine, Frabelle PNG Ltd, RD Tuna Canners and Islands Seafood were displaying fresh tuna, smoked tuna loins and Barramundi as wild stocks.
“The whole idea of exhibiting the products is to try and penetrate the European Union market with PNG seafood,” he said.

He said the theme for the PNG delegation was to show other countries that PNG seafood had been obtained from the wild and pristine waters of the country and was fresh.

“We are trying to sell to the overseas market that the seafood in the country is not being obtained through polluted methods but by environmentally friendly ways,” Mr. Barnabas said.

He said Fisheries Minister Ben Semri, PNG Ambassador to Brussels Issac Lupari and National Fisheries Authority acting managing director Sylvester Pokajam had expressed satisfaction on the efforts put to promote PNG seafood products in Europe and the preparation of the PNG pavilion.

Mr, Lupari said the fisheries sector had great potential to make inroads into the European Union market and to set the platform for the other PNG-made goods.

Mr. Semri was on his way to Canada to attend a ministerial conference on management of high seas fisheries when he visited the PNG display site.