National Fisheries Authority

Loop PNG has confirmed that the NFA received a report last week on the disappearance of, James Junior Numbaru, a ‘Fisheries Observer’ with NFA.

At the time he was aboard the Chinese-flagged purse seiner vessel Feng Xiang No. 818.

According to the Pacific Guardian the vessel was drifting in Nauru waters when Numbaru was reported missing around 2am on Wednesday. The coordinates where the incident occurred: 00°22′S,167°53′E.

The destruction of the vessels was ordered by the Bomana District Court after the boats were caught fishing illegally off Budibidi Island, Milne Bay Province, on December 22.

The National Fisheries Authority (NFA) is in charge of the destruction operation, planned to be carried out by the PNGDF Navy's explosive ordinance and diving team.

It’s been over a week since the initial destruction operation failed to push through due to bad weather.

The destruction was organised by the National Fisheries Authority and planned to be carried out by the PNGDF Navy's explosive ordinance and diving team.

They were towed out of Fairfax Harbour on Monday by the PNG Defence Force Navy vessel, HMPNGS Buna, to a sinking site outside Port Moresby.

However, due to bad weather, they were left on a reef off the coast of Fisherman Island.

A team consisting of naval personnel, fisheries officers and external clients, Pacific Towing service, was sent out the next day to do a preliminary assessment of the situation.

A team was sent out on Tuesday and today to continue assessment of the situation.

The vessels were towed out of Fairfax Harbour on Monday by the PNG Defence Force Navy vessel HMPNGS Buna to a sinking site outside Port Moresby. 

However, due to bad weather, they were left on a reef off the coast of Fisherman Island.

The destruction was organised by the National Fisheries Authority and planned to be carried out by the PNGDF Navy's explosive ordinance and diving team.

The vessels were used by 50 Vietnamese fishermen who had been fishing in PNG waters off Budibidi Island in Milne Bay Province. This was on December 22, 2016.

The two illegal vessels were ordered early this year to be destroyed by the court.

They were towed out of Fairfax Harbour at midday yesterday by the PNG Defence Force Navy vessel HMPNGS Buna to a sinking site outside Port Moresby. 

The destruction was organised by the National Fisheries Authority and planned to be carried out by the PNGDF Navy's explosive ordinance and diving team.

“This would be a big help to the people of PNG.”

Port Moresby General Hospital chief radiologist, Dora Lenturut-Katal said this during the launch last week.

“It would be affordable and less than K500.”

“Prior to having the scanner, patients had to seek treatment from private hospitals in the country or overseas which was a costly exercise.”

Under its corporate social responsibility, NFA has provided funding assistance towards acquisition of basic lifesaving medical equipment for a number of hospitals in PNG.

There’re two forms of assistance that NFA provides for the health services in PNG as part of its corporate social obligations.

NFA does procurement of major medical equipment that are essential in major referral hospitals such as the one MRI scanner launched today at the Port Moresby General Hospital.

The MRI scanner was launched yesterday at POMGH and is the first MRI scanner in the public health system of Papua New Guinea.

It was funded by the National Fisheries Authority at a cost of K4.5 million.

Minister for Fisheries and Marine Resources Mao Zeming said NFA is proud to have provided funding assistance towards the acquisition of this MRI scanner and the facility to house it.

“I urge our staff at POMGH and the public to take good care of this equipment and the facility so that it will continue to be of service to our people,” stated Zeming.

The K4.5 million project was funded by the National Fisheries Authority.

The GE 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner is one of the most advanced MRI scanners in its class in the world.

 A MRI scanner does not use radiation unlike a computed tomography (CT) scanner and is most suitable for the brain, spine, bones, joints and muscles.

Whereas a CT scanner is more suitable for the chest, heart, lymph nodes and blood vessels.

It was a game that was predicted to go right down to the wire at the Rita Flynn courts, and at half-time, the score line of 11-10 in favour of NFA proved just this.

Shooters from both sides kept the scoreboard ticking over and at the full time siren; it was a deadlock at 20-20.

This forced the game into extra time of five minutes each way.

The NFA girls pushed ahead in the first half of extra time thanks to shooters Stacey Haeremai and Cathy Dimore who gave their side some breathing space to lead 25-22.