A partnership between the Central Provincial Government (CPG) and Abau District Administration has seen the completion of a two-week basic fish farming training in Kelerakwa Village.
Nineteen people participated. Eleven came from Aroma Coast villages, two from Keiva Village in Hiri District, and six were students from the Fisheries Department of the University of Natural Resources & Environment (UNRE). The students are currently on industrial training with the CPG’s Fisheries & Marine Resources Division.
The two- week training covered pond design, construction and installation, cage design and rigging, feed formulation and feeding methods, general fish farm management and site selection, and sex identification.
Deputy Provincial Administrator for Economic Services, Glen Gani challenged the trainees to start up their SME projects in their respective villages. He told fish farmers that there were 1 million mouths to feed in Port Moresby and they have the market accessibility at their doorstep.
“Central Province people dirty your hands by working on the land. We have plenty of land available. Let’s make use of the land or land may make use of us in future. Move away from subsistence farming and move into commercial farming,” said Mr Gani.
Mr Gani said Governor Robert Agarobe has a vision to grow the economy of this province, and in the last 3 to 4 years, he put the systems and processes in order to achieve government goals and priorities. This is captured under CPG’s priority area of one crop per district, one crop per farmer, under agriculture, tourism and sports.
Provincial Fisheries Advisor, Iga Peni said the government has imparted knowledge and skills. It is upon the trainees to implement what they have learnt. Peni said the division will continue its support with a supply of fingerlings to help with starting off fish ponds.
Provincial Fisheries officers Kila Kilakau and Jacob Benosi facilitated the training with Naime Hera from Kupiano Vocational & Community College.
Similar trainings will be held later in other districts of Central Province this year.