Newly reappointed Managing Director of the National Fisheries Authority (NFA), Justin Ilakini, has strongly defended payments made to overseas seafood companies under the Coastal Fisheries Development Programme, saying the funds were Papua New Guinea’s own revenues invested to create sustainable economic opportunities for coastal communities.
Responding to recent social media commentary questioning the payments, Mr Ilakini said the claims were based on leaked confidential documents and failed to present the full policy, governance, contractual and development context behind the programme.
“The payments referred to in recent publications were not payments made on behalf of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA), nor were they payments for PNA programmes,” Mr Ilakini said.
“They were payments from Papua New Guinea’s revenues generated under the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) Arrangement. These revenues are administered by the PNA Office on behalf of the National Fisheries Authority under established financial arrangements, but they remain Papua New Guinea’s funds.”
Mr Ilakini said the funds were applied to NFA Board-approved programmes in line with the Government’s policy to diversify the fisheries sector beyond the country’s highly successful tuna industry.
He said while tuna remains one of Papua New Guinea’s biggest export earners, most Papua New Guineans involved in fisheries depend on coastal fisheries, inland fisheries and aquaculture for their daily livelihoods.
“The Coastal Fisheries Development Programme is designed to complement the tuna industry by creating new income opportunities for coastal communities and strengthening local participation throughout the fisheries value chain,” he said.
Mr Ilakini explained that the programme is fully consistent with the National Fisheries Authority’s statutory mandate to promote the sustainable development, management and utilisation of the country’s fisheries resources for the maximum benefit of Papua New Guinea.
He said the companies engaged under the programme are established seafood businesses with proven commercial networks across Singapore, Hong Kong and China. Through their Papua New Guinea-registered entities, they were contracted to establish export markets, develop supply chains, train local fishers, improve quality standards and facilitate exports of high-value seafood products, including live reef fish, mud crabs, lobsters, prawns and sea cucumbers.
Mr Ilakini said the programme deliberately adopted a market-first approach to reduce commercial risks for local fishers.
“Rather than encouraging production without secure buyers, we first established commercial pathways into premium seafood markets. Once those markets were identified and buyer requirements understood, the Authority rolled out training, production support and export readiness programmes in our coastal provinces.”
He said the initiative has already expanded exports of mud crabs, live reef fish, lobsters and prawns into premium Asian markets while delivering training and capacity-building programmes in Milne Bay, Manus and Central Province, with further expansion planned.
“The results of this programme are well documented in the NFA’s annual performance reports to Government,” he added.
Mr Ilakini reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to transparency and accountability.
“The NFA remains fully committed to transparency, accountability and good governance. We will cooperate fully with any lawful oversight body and provide all relevant documentation concerning procurement processes, contracts and programmes implementation.”
He said the Coastal Fisheries Development Programme represents a strategic investment in Papua New Guinea’s future by broadening the fisheries sector beyond tuna, strengthening participation by ordinary Papua New Guineans and supporting sustainable livelihoods through access to high-value international markets.
“Our objective is to ensure Papua New Guinea’s fisheries resources deliver greater benefits to our own people while implementing Government policy responsibly, transparently and in accordance with our statutory mandate,” Mr Ilakini said.