16 Jun 2010

Papua New Guinea to fund major tuna tagging programme

2:32 pm on 16 June 2010

The managing director of Papua New Guinea's National Fisheries Authority, Sylvester Pokajam, has announced his body will fund a major tuna tagging programme in PNG waters.

It will spend three million US dollars over three years, starting early next year, as part of an integrated monitoring programme that also includes fisheries observers, in-port catch sampling and satellite-based vessel monitoring.

Mr Pokajam says PNG is committed to full scientific monitoring of its tuna stocks, because the sector provides important revenue to PNG as well as more than 10,000 jobs.

The Secretariat of the Pacific Community will assist the Authority in implementing the programme through its Oceanic Fisheries Programme.

That programme's manager, Dr John Hampton, says the new tagging programme will provide PNG with a world-class fishery monitoring system that will greatly enhance understanding of an important resource.