The Papua New Guinea National Fisheries Authority is hoping to lure in more tuna investors into the country during the Pacific Tuna Forum because there is room for more tuna canneries to be established in the country.
NFA managing director Sylvester Pokajam told reporters last Friday that all preparations for the two-day September event are running smooth but took time out to make NFA’s intentions known that more tuna investors are needed.
â€Yes, there is huge potential for more tuna canneries to be established to complement our vast tuna resources,†Mr. Pokajam said.
PNG is leading other Pacific island countries in tuna management and it is hoped that that reputation would be the pillar to attract tuna investors during the forum.
Fisheries Industry Association chairman Maurice Brownjohn also reiterated that the forum would be the primary target to lure in investors as “PNG should be better recognized rather than feeding foreign country (with its tuna exports)â€. Mr. Brownjohn said that for 10 years PNG has been lobbying for such international events to be staged and that the forum should put PNG on the world map.
He also thanked sponsors for sponsoring the even, notably the gold sponsors, the RD Tuna Canners Limited, Frabelle (PNG) Limited and Fair Well Fishery (PNG) Limited who sipped in of K30,000 each.
There are also silver fish sponsorship and bronze fish sponsorship categories for the booths.