Papua New Guinea lures tuna investors from RP

GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Officials from tuna-rich Papua New Guinea visited here last week to entice more Filipino investments in their country’s fishing industry. Gabriel Kapris, Papua New Guinea Minister of Trade and Commerce, said fishing firms in this city could expand operations or put up new investments in his country. Presently, two tuna industry players — RD Tuna Canners (PNG) Ltd., a subsidiary of home-grown business empire RD Group of Companies, and Frabelle (PNG) Ltd. of Frabelle Fishing Corp. — are operating tuna canneries in Papua New Guinea. Mr. Kapris said they have set up a marine industry park to boost foreign investments in the tuna industry. "We are now open for more investments in the tuna industry," he added, expressing hopes Filipino fishing companies would take the opportunity. Mr. Kapris and Damien Gamiandu, Papua New Guinea ambassador to the Philippines, came here as guests of local fishing magnate Rodrigo Rivera, Sr., owner of RD Group of Companies. Earlier, the Papua New Guinea government hailed RD Tuna Canners for pioneering canned tuna there that spurs its economy and for being the largest employer in Madang province. RD Tuna Canners has a work force of 3,000 in Papua New Guinea, reports said, adding that it supplies the bulk of Papua New Guinea’s canned tuna export quota of 1,000 metric tons to the European Union. Frabelle, on the other hand, launched its $31.25-million tuna cannery in Lae City, Morobe province about two years ago. The company produces the "Isabella" canned sardines through outsourcing arrangements with various local processors. Last year, the Philippines formally sought a bilateral fishing agreement with Papua New Guinea, as well as Palau, to sustain the local tuna industry due to repeated prodding of industry players. Malcolm Sarmiento, director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, said the Fisheries bureau is keen on having access to tuna within waters of the two Pacific Island nations to further boost the local tuna industry. During the 9th National Tuna Congress here last year, the plenary approved a resolution reiterating the tuna industry’s demand for the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Foreign Affairs to fast-track forging of bilateral or regional fishing pacts with neighboring countries and the Pacific Island nations. "The domestic tuna catch cannot sufficiently supply the requirements of the tuna canneries and processing plants, which are increasingly dependent on the supply of tuna caught outside the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone," the resolution reads. "The establishment of more fishing access arrangements is essential to further boost the competitive advantage of the Philippine tuna industry as well as safeguard the livelihood of thousands of fishermen, processing plant workers and their families who are dependent on the industry," it added. The Philippine tuna industry accounts for about 12% of the country’s total fisheries production, provides about 120,000 jobs and an average turnover of $420 million per year, industry records showed. - BusinessWorld