(Post Courier) PNG’s tuna export is the leading commodity in the fisheries sector with a whooping 32,335 metric tons exported in 2010, according to the National Fisheries Authority (NFA).
The NFA reported also that despite an increase in fisheries export the total PNG tuna export (for all gear types) fluctuated between 65,000 and 74,000 M/T annually from 2006 - 2010.
The report stated that frozen tuna topped the 2010 fisheries export list followed by canned tuna, cooked loins, chilled tuna and fish meal.
The frozen tuna, the majority of which is whole round frozen tuna, is the largest export category. It accounted for around 50 percent of total exports in 2010 (32,000 M/T) and most of these were destined for processing in plants elsewhere, notably Thailand and the Philippines.
NFA managing director Sylvester Pokajam said canned tuna and cooked loins (HS 1604 products) have collectively accounted for around 30-43 percent of total exports and over the past five years, cooked loin exports have consistently ranged between 10,000-12,000 M/T and canned tuna exports have ranged between 12,000-17,000 M/T, with no firm trends.
Mr. Pokajam said the European Union and United States are PNG’s largest export markets for canned tuna and cooked loins (HS 1604), together are these 2 markets accounting for 80 percent of the exports of these tuna products.
The exports numbers given by the NFA do not include fish transhipped in PNG ports by large chartered and foreign vessels with the former amounting to around 50,000 M/T in most recent years.