11 November 2015 - Upon the suggestion of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Department of Agriculture (BFAR-DA) in Manila, Philippine Ambassador to Papua New Guinea Bienvenido V. Tejano met with officials of the National Fisheries Authority of Papua New Guinea (NFA-PNG) on October 29 regarding the concerns of Philippine fishing companies operating in PNG on the issuance of a new circular by NFA-PNG containing policies that may affect companies that have established land-based processing in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Joining Ambassador Tejano were representatives of the Philippine fishing companies.
Ambassador Tejano put forward the concerns of the Filipino fishing companies, requested NFA-PNG to consider these concerns, and urged both parties to continue their constructive relationship in view of the long history of cooperation between the Philippines and Papua New Guinea in the field of fisheries and the good bilateral relations between the two countries in general. The undersigned also said that many Filipinos are contributing to the development of PNG through the skills and professionalism they bring to PNG and through increased people-to-people exchanges.
The meeting ended with NFA-PNG, after careful consideration, decided to grant all the requests of the Philippine side in recognition of the continuing contribution of the Filipino fishing companies to the welfare of the communities where their operations are located and their continuing assistance to the PNG fishing industry in its development as it endeavors to maximize its strengths in order to benefit from PNG’s fisheries resources.
The meeting also noted Ambassador Tejano as the longest serving Philippine Ambassador to PNG and appreciated his efforts to strengthen the warm and vibrant bilateral relationship between the Philippines and Papua New Guinea. END