Expansion of fish processing in PNG

The European Unions duty free arrangements are helping Papua New Guinea (PNG) to become one of the world's leading fish processing nations. Specialising in tuna, PNG aims to become a powerhouse by processing a larger catch and encouraging other Pacific nations to send their fish to its canneries.  At present 60 percent of the world's tuna is caught in the Pacific and, over the past decade, fish processing has become a major employer in PNG. 



However, according to PNG's National Fisheries Authority managing director, Sylvester Pokajam, the eight tuna-rich Pacific Island nations, known as the PNA group, have struggled to bring jobs onshore. In an interview with Radio Australia, Mr Pokajam said he wanted to improve the situation 'We are looking at the fishery within the PNA of about 1.2 million metric tonnes sustainably harvested every year', he said. 

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We want to also extend our call to the Pacific, especially the PNA countries, to earn more from their resources rather than just relying on the access fees so we try to develop in that are to see how we can all work together as one group to benefit together.' Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Fishing stimulates coastal economy in Minnesota

In November, Jim Skurla, the director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the Labovitz School of Business and Economics at the University of Minnesota Duluth, gave the public another reason to feel good about eating Lake Superior fish it adds significant cash flow to the fragile economies of North Shore communities. Mr Skurla completed an economic analysis concerning the impact of commercial fishing on Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior.

He reports that harvesting Lake Superior fish and processing fish along the North Shore, directly creates 108 jobs in Minnesota and, after following the money trail of direct, indirect, and induced spending, he reports these enterprises result in economic activity that exceeds US$41 million (€28.447 million), annually (US$1,379,466 (€957,098.341) harvesting; US$40,299,682 (€27,960,644.) processing). "I was surprised how valuable commercial fishing is to this region," said Mr Skurla. "I also think it is remarkable how many non-fishing jobs are related to commercial fishing." Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers

Finding suitable environmental sites for aquaculture

Aquaculture is a booming industry, but that means effluent from fish farms will be booming, too. What happens to that drifting waste in coastal settings is critical to maintaining a healthy environment, but little has been known about how that waste travels once it is no longer down on the farm, writes Louis Bergeron for Stanford University. Stanford researchers have developed a highly detailed computer simulation that will help find suitable sites for aquaculture and help monitor any plumes of waste wafting through the waters.

One of the fastest-growing segments of livestock farming in the United States is aquaculture, according to Roz Naylor, a Stanford professor of environmental Earth system science. And like any other form of livestock, fish generate waste. But just what happens to the waste produced by coastal aquaculture has largely been a matter of conjecture. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers