Fishy business. The Social Impact of SST.pdf - Act Now!

Le Service du Commerce ExterieurDimanche, 17 Juillet 2005Wewak tuna plant project to start February - PAPUA NEW GUINEAConstruction of a "world class" tuna processing plant at Wewak is expected to commencein February and would take about 11 months to complete, according to a Governmentstatement.It said the plant, owned by South Seas Tuna Corporation, should be ready for commissionby January 2004.The statement disclosed that Deputy Prime Minister Dr Allan Marat and East SepikGovernor Arthur Somare had flown to Auckland earlier in December to visit factories andcompanies involved in construction of the multi-million kina tuna loining factory to bebuilt in Wewak.The Ministers viewed similar operations in Auckland, New Plymouth and Dunedin andwitnessed steel fabrication work related to the Wewak plant, writes The National.Dr Marat and Mr Somare described as "impressive" the Sea Lord Bio-Filters operation inDunedin, where especially constructed tanks deal with products from fish processing andturn them into cosmetic oils and fertilisers, while cutting down on the odour problem.Sealord, a company owned by the Maori Association of New Zealand, produces thousandsof kilos of fish fillets everyday for shipment to markets in Europe, Asia and America andwith a very strict control on odour levels and dumping of waste.The factory ranks in the top 10 among world food processing facilities and is said to benumber one in the Southern Hemisphere."The same multi-million dollar facility with strict control of odour and environmental planwill be built in Wewak on 8 February 2003 for the Wewak Tuna Loining Factory," saysRichard Baker of the South Seas Tuna Corporation."The factory in Wewak will be of world standard and will be a major investment for EastSepik and Papua New Guinea, bringing in more than K100 million to the nationaleconomy every year."Mr Somare said the plant would "bring immense returns to the national economy" and is"consistent with the Government's policy of an export driven economy," said Mr Somare.He said the first intake of employees is expected to number 1,250 and that a string of spinoffactivities was likely to ensue."The fisheries statistics suggest that for every one person employed in the factory anadditional 2.7 job opportunity will be created outside," said Mr Somare."We need to harness this opportunity and exploit its full potential by looking at countriesthat have similar fish factory set-ups."180