This is the view of the National Fisheries Industry development co-ordinator Geoff Puri, who was addressing the recent PNG Tuna Fishing Industry Consultation in Port Moresby.

 

He said that the largest species - in both catch quantity and economic terms - were primarily skipjack and yellowfin with smaller quantities of bigeye, albacore and other species, The National newspaper reported.

 

Domestic longline vessels and locally based foreign flagged purse seine vessels operate under various arrangements.

 

He said tuna production in 2017 was 85,161t; 87,264t in 2018; 107,250t in 2019; 110,094t in 2020; and 117,483 metric tonnes last year.

 

Tuna exports volumes in 2017 were 135,064t; 146,548t in 2018; 208,701t in 2019, 220,349t in 2020; and 198,894t last year.

 

The tuna export value in 2017 was K1.46 billion; K1.55 billion in 2018; K2.22 billion in 2019; K1.57 billion in 2020; and about K1.56 billion last year.