Ndilou Island today played host to visitors from the National Fisheries Authority.
NFA Deputy Managing Director Pakop Nowan led his team as well as officials from Commerce and Industry to meet with fisheries cooperatives Ndilou Pakreng and Hawaii group of Manus Province.
The brief visit was to present certificates to the fisheries cooperatives. The first lot of certificates were presented to seven fisheries cooperatives in a friendship dinner yesterday evening.
Ward 20 Councillor Ezekiel Posingh expressed his gratitude to NFA on behalf of his people for the support given through these initiatives. He said it has had a major impact on the people and provincial fisheries.
Manager Pomat Powayai said this event is to acknowledge the needs of the people, that is, money to sustain their livelihoods. As a cooperative group moving from a subsistence lifestyle to semi-subsistence, it is the way forward.
First Assistant Secretary for Commerce and Industry Fraser Marie told the people of Ndilou that the era of sitting back and watching foreigners run businesses in land ends with them, as local initiatives grow, encouraging people to work their land and resources to sustain themselves.
The work of the cooperative society is a form of SME to assist people grow in their fisheries or seafood businesses.
