A NGO in Papua New Guinea has questioned the degree of regional support for the proposed Pacific Marine Industrial Zone, or PMIZ, in Madang province.
The PMIZ in Madang's lagoon would accommodate up to 10 more canneries, as well as fuel depots, container terminals and other facilities for fishing fleets.
The Madang government says its plans to grow Madang as the focal point of regional fishing will help maximise returns for Pacific countries from the important Western and Central Pacific fishery.
However Rosa Koian of the Bismarck Ramu Group says reports from other Pacific island nations indicate little interest in bolstering fish processing in Madang:
"Because other Pacific nations want fish canneries for themselves. If their fish is going to be landed in Papua New Guinea and processed and labelled a PNG product, would the Solomons like that? Would the Marshall Islands want that? They wouldn't want their fish to be labelled a Papua New Guinea product."
