NEWS FROM IN AND AROUND THE REGION

PAPUA NEW GUINEA: TWO NEW FISHERIES PROJECTS UNDERWAY

ADB approves USD 5.7 in Daru, a small boat jetty and a from the start, this project will million for coastal transit house in , and a act as a credit guarantor to com- fisheries project mariculture facility on Nago munities who do not have Island, . access to capital — and not sim- The Asian Development Bank ply as a source of handouts. (ADB) has approved a loan of Rural coastal fisheries USD 5.7 million to Papua New project kicks off in PNG "Running alongside the credit Guinea (PNG) for a Coastal schemes will be help for com- Fisheries Management and The implementation phase of munities with depleted Development Project, which the new Rural Coastal Fisheries resources to acquire the aims to improve the manage- Development Project has began resource management skills that ment of the country's valuable with the arrival of the Project will help them develop and coastal fisheries resources, espe- Team Leader, Mr Sean Marriott, recover those resources so that cially in overfished areas. The in in October they can realise the full benefit project will also create income- 2002. of sustainably managed assets. earning opportunities for fisher- Fishing groups will also be men by providing links to estab- This follows on from the signing given the skills to enable them lished commercial fishing cen- of the financing agreement last to manage their business and tres, and will strengthen provin- year between the then Prime resources effectively and prof- cial fisheries offices by training Minister, Sir Mekere Morauta itably. fisheries officers to better man- and the EU Delegate, Mr age fisheries resources at the Anthony Crasner. "This departure from the tradi- provincial level. tional fisheries project delivery The project is intended to run vehicle offers an exciting and About 30,000 coastal house- for five years and has a budget challenging approach to devel- holds, whose livelihoods depend of six million euros. It has iden- opment in a sector which has on fisheries, will benefit directly tified seven project sites often frustrated effective from this project. throughout the country: Alotau, progress and the Rural Coastal Buka, Daru, Kavieng, , Fisheries Development Project Phase 1 of the project began in and Port Moresby. aims to change all that," Mr 2000, in which extensive Marriot said. research and consultations were Mr Marriot said the project made throughout the country would support small-scale fish- (Source: Fishing Line, bi-monthly with stakeholders such as fish- ing enterprises. Its objective is newsletter of the National Fisheries ery participants, representatives to improve the welfare of the Authority, Issue No. 11, September–October 2002) of the public and the private rural coastal population sector, resource users and own- through a greater participation ers, and non-governmental organ- in harvesting and marketing of isations. During this process, the their marine resources. provinces of Milne Bay, Morobe, New Ireland and Western were "Apart from infrastructure identified as the target developments, the big idea of provinces for the project. this project is to promote devel- opment through private sector These provinces possess either initiatives. A line of credit, one or all of the following: a backed up by an initial loan supporting infrastructure, a rel- scheme, will be established ative abundance of fish through banks and private com- resources, potential for increased panies to enable small fishing value from small-scale fisheries, enterprises and fishing groups and proximity to commercial to purchase boats, fishing gear, fishery centres. ice plants and other equipment. The private enterprise ethos The project also include the con- will be reinforced through train- struction of: a tuna longlining ing and help in preparing wharf in Lae, a small boat jetty investment proposals so that,

12 SPC Fisheries Newsletter #103 — October/December 2002