Developing fishery value chain support rural entrepreneurship, investment and trade in PNG is enabling families to improve their livelihood through fish consumption and trade.
EU-STREIT PNG in collaboration with the National Fisheries Authority and provincial divisions of Fisheries & Agriculture provides support to increase fish productivity and profitability, while also contributing to food security and nutrition in the Greater Sepik Region.
Fish is an essential part of the daily diet of riverine and coastal communities in the Greater Sepik Region. It is also a reliable source of regular income for smallholders in the area.
EU-STREIT in the low altitude communities in the region, fish consumption is the most important source of protein, comprising around 40 percent of all food from animal sources.
Despite these facts, the average fish consumption is still below the recommended levels for good nutrition, particularly in view of the nutritional value of fish.
According to EU-STREIT, this resource also remains under-utilized due to poor infrastructure and equipment, lack of knowledge and skills, and deficiency in effective regulations and management.
The support includes strong investment in developing the capacity as well as the introduction of improved practices, techniques, equipment and facilities for better production, processing and marketing of fish among fishing communities, fisheries enterprises and relevant government institutions.
The programme is also committed to facilitating the access of fisheries communities to the markets and assisting them in improving existing transport safety and equipment