The exports of fresh tuna out of the small port of Lae, in Papua New Guinea, for the lucrative Japanese sashimi market, took a turn for the better with the launch yesterday of a direct charter service between Lae and Brisbane in Australia. Lae is close to the world’s best tuna fishing grounds, in the Western Central Pacific Ocean.
Lae-based fishing firm MAPS Tuna announced the service, which allows for fresh tuna caught in Morobe waters to be freighted to Brisbane for connections on other airlines to Japan within 48 hours.
The return run from Brisbane to Lae will also be open for other companies to take advantage to freight their cargo.
Morobe Governor Luther Wenge was on hand yesterday to officially launch the direct charter service. Wenge urged businesses in Lae and the Morobe province to “rally behind the charter service†for their benefit.
The direct charter is the first of its kind for the country. Running the charter service is a Russian military-built aircraft, the AN12 Antonov, which has been refitted to carry up to 12,500 tons of freight. The aircraft is owned by Brisbane group, Pacific Air Express. The charter runs once every week on Wednesdays.
“It has been a long time coming, but finally, Lae will be serviced by a direct charter flight from Brisbane, Australia, servicing both in-bound and out-bound freight,†Wenge said. “I call on the business people of Morobe province to rally behind the charter flight and support it fully.â€
He said the timing of the charter service was also right, when the Provincial Government had just released its five-year development plan. “I see innovative ideas such as this charter service as an integral part of the growth of the Morobe province,†he said.
The service also comes at a time when local fishing companies are complaining about the national airline carrier Air Niugini, which they was making them to lose export value due to poor handling and the time-factor.