PNG Wants Pacific To Capture More Value From Tuna Industry

PNG Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister Jelta Wong has used an international tuna industry gathering in Thailand to push for a greater economic return for Pacific countries from the region's valuable fisheries resources.

Mr Wong told the 19th INFOFISH World Tuna Trade Conference and Exhibition in Bangkok that Pacific nations were prepared to expand their involvement in the tuna industry, moving from the export of raw materials into processing, transport, marketing, innovation and trade.

The Minister said the Pacific's role should not be defined by the size of its landmass.

“You call them 'Small Island Nations. We prefer 'Large Ocean States,” Mr Wong said.

He said the Pacific was responsible for managing an enormous share of the world's ocean territory and supplied more than 50 per cent of global tuna production.

Mr Wong also cited scientific assessments showing that important tuna stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean remained biologically healthy.

The challenge, he said, was ensuring the region received a greater economic benefit from the resources it manages.

Under the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, Pacific nations are seeking to develop industries that go beyond harvesting and include value-added activities.

Mr Wong said only 15 per cent of tuna caught in Pacific waters was processed within the region.

PNG has responded with initiatives including the East New Britain initiative, which is intended to establish regional tuna hubs, and Fisheries Capital Limited, which is focused on attracting investment into processing facilities, infrastructure and employment.

The Minister said PNG was also working with the Iceland Innovation Cluster to pursue full utilisation of fish resources.

At the same time, satellite systems and artificial intelligence are being used to strengthen surveillance and tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

Mr Wong said development partners should direct support towards practical areas such as infrastructure, technology and market access, enabling Pacific businesses to compete against international standards.

“For decades, developed industrial economies have captured much of the value generated from our ocean resources. The Pacific has borne the custodial responsibility, while others have accrued the economic dividends,” Mr Wong said.

He said Pacific countries were now seeking a different economic arrangement based on partnership and a fairer distribution of benefits.

“We now seek a recalibration, a new paradigm of shared prosperity. The Pacific collectively asserts its right to participate equitably in the value we steward. It is not a request for concession. It is a call for partnership, for fairness, and for the rightful distribution of benefits derived from the resources of our Blue Pacific Continent.”

Mr Wong also extended an invitation to government and industry stakeholders to attend the 10th Pacific Tuna Forum in Port Moresby in October 2027.

“Let us be the generation that not only sustains our tuna stocks but ensures the prosperity they generate is shared among those who own, protect, and depend on them. The Pacific is ready,” said Wong.