The Ministry of Fisheries is forming advisory committees to manage five key fisheries: tuna, grouper, marlin, sea cucumber, and reef fish, under the Regulations on Planning and Management of Fisheries. Applications are now open for individuals interested in joining. Each committee will have representatives with specific roles, and members will serve a five-year term. The committees will oversee fishery management plans, provide annual reports, and offer advice on fisheries policies at national, regional, and international levels. Those in elective office or political party positions are ineligible. The deadline for applications is 12:00 noon on April 10.

Source: The Edition

Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister Jelta Wong announced that Majestic Tuna Corporation will reopen its tuna processing plant in Malahang, Lae, Morobe, by the end of the year. The plant, which has been closed since June 2023, will create over 1,000 jobs and offer new opportunities for local businesses. Wong thanked the company’s shareholders, FCF Co Ltd and Frabelle (PNG) Ltd, for their commitment to resuming operations.

This announcement follows a two-day tuna investor consultation in Singapore, which resulted in a realignment of RD Tuna Canners' operations with support from Dongwon Industries, Tri-Marine International, and FCF Co Ltd. This collaboration is aimed at strengthening RD Tuna Canners’ position in Papua New Guinea's (PNG) tuna processing sector. Wong highlighted the government's efforts to make PNG a top destination for foreign direct investment in tuna fisheries and to improve fisheries policies.

PNG, which already has six processing plants and a combined processing capacity of over 1,000 metric tonnes daily, saw a 34% increase in tuna production from 79,209 metric tonnes in 2023 to 119,232 metric tonnes in 2024, despite the Majestic Tuna closure. Wong expressed confidence that further foreign investment will continue flowing into the sector, with ongoing efforts to ensure sustainable growth. He also noted the establishment of Fisheries Capital Limited (FCL), a sector-based State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) to support joint ventures and address industry inefficiencies. Additionally, PNG is collaborating with Pacific nations on the East New Britain Initiative (ENBi) to improve tuna fisheries development across the region.

Source: The Sun

Fishermen in Malaysia will soon be required to use facial recognition technology to buy government-subsidised diesel as part of a new security system to prevent subsidy misappropriation, according to the Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said  . The system, under development by the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM), is expected to be operational by September 2025. The new system aims to enhance security at sales centres and will be integrated with handheld devices used by Fishermen's Associations at Subsidised Diesel Sales Centres (PJD) in the retail sale of diesel. Currently, 70 million litres of subsidised diesel are allocated monthly, and in 2024, 10,449 vessel owners used a total of 680.3 million litres. He added that regular monitoring is conducted by LKIM on the use of subsidised diesel through shared fishing vessel data with enforcement agencies.

Source: News Strait Times