22 Jan 2009

US consultant upbeat about Solomons cannery plan

4:30 pm on 22 January 2009

A tuna cannery consultant says there's a huge potential for a successful cannery operation in Malaita province in Solomon Islands, and future talks with officials are likely to be the next step.

Don Hosokawa of US based Tuna Tech says they met a variety of landowners this month for preliminary talks on the idea.

He says he would provide the necessary technical expertise to set up any potential cannery and Getax Australia would be looking to fund it.

He says their contact in Solomon Islands, John Safanamae, has been helping them explore the possibility further and future talks with the Prime Minister and Premier of Malaita are probable.

"I've been around in the tuna industry for the last 32 years. He had contacted me regarding the possibility and since I was passing by recently we did have time to go ahead and meet regarding it, to explore and to do some fact finding regarding the possibility."

Don Hosokawa says a cannery would go a long way towards boosting the economy and employment.