PNG extends ban bech-de-mer

THE NATIONAL – Papua New Guinea’s beche-de-mer stock is improving but not at the stage of harvesting, a senior National Fisheries Authority (NFA) official says. Sedentary fishery manager Luanah Yaman said the impact of the beche-de-mer ban in the past three years did not see a significant difference in the stock. She said the size…

PNGDF secures loan for facilites upgrade

POST COURIER – The Papua New Guinea Defence Force has secured a K1.9 billion (US$772 million) loan from overseas to improve its facilities. Defence Minister and North Wahgi MP Fabian Pok announced the National Executive Council (NEC) had approved the loan and once the loan agreement was signed the department would secure the loan from…

PNA hailed for tuna efforts

PEW, Greenpeace and World Wide Fund (WWF) have congratulated the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) for their increased commitments to the sustainable management of their tuna fisheries. Amanda Nickson, Director Global Tuna Conservation campaign Pew Environment Group; Alfred Schuman, director Smart Fishing Initiative World Wide Fund for Nature; Sari Tolvanen, Project Leader Global Tuna…

MSG meets to boost trade

Members of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) are meeting this week at the South Pacific Community Headquarters in Noumea, New Caledonia to discuss trade and economic issues and initiatives that will boost trade relations between Melanesian countries under the newly revised MSG Trade Agreement to be finalized in 2015. The MSG series of meetings started…