Papua New Guinea has opened its first-ever seafood holding facility in Singapore.
Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister, Jelta Wong was in Singapore today (15th September) to officially open the facility and described it as a great opportunity for the country to benefit.
“The future looks promising already and I must congratulate NFA for the foresight in putting together and supporting this innovative marketing arrangement,”
“I commend the NFA for finding and creating new and greater market opportunities for our people to access and benefit from,” Minister Wong said.
As PNG looks on to benefit from the growing Asian Market, Minister Wong said the Government is focused on strengthening trade and investment by working closely with foreign missions and development partners in the region.
“What we have done here in Singapore is to look at tapping the massive Chinese seafood market that PNG already has a fisheries market access agreement with,” said the Minister.
The facility will receive and store live mud crabs, lobsters, prawns and other inshore coastal fisheries products before they can be sold or distributed to buyers and retailers in Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian markets.
Local fisheries farms like the recently opened mud crab fattening farm in Abau, Central Province and others are targeted to benefit immensely from this initiative.
“It is pleasing to further note that, once the facility goes into full operation, it will be receiving live mud crab and seafood products from our people at the village or community level – such as the live mud crab fattening project that was recently launched in Gavuone village in Abau District,”
“It will also be receiving prawns caught by our village people within the 3mile zone in the Gulf of Papua, including other areas that are now being targeted by the NFA in promoting coastal fisheries development with more and more of our people participating directly,” Minister Wong said.
The demand for seafood was evident when an order of 500kg live mud crab was secured soon after the opening of the Zavath Seafoods facility.
