The Pacific is the only region in the world where the major tuna stocks are biologically healthy and much of the tuna from the pacific are sold in the European Union (EU) market, the single largest market for fish and fishery products worldwide.
Papua New Guinea (PNG) is privileged to be part of that, by having access to the EU market through meeting the Health Certificate and Catch Certificate criteria.
PNG supplies Skipjack Tuna, Yellowfin Tuna, and Albacore Tuna to the EU market. In 2019, the quantity of fisheries exports was doubled from 2014 with 196,000 tons of products exported within five years, with a total export value of K1.3 billion.
PNG’s canned tuna exports benefit from a 24% duty exemption into the lucrative EU market, further leveraging the growth of the PNG Tuna processing sector.
Whilst PNG is thriving in the EU Market, the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) is also exporting other fisheries products into the Chinese market like dried sea cucumbers, prawns, shrimps, lobsters and crabs.
And over the years the National Fisheries Authority strives to keep the country’s tuna industry in the Global market by maintaining its standard and also by improving its service and management system locally.