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Papua New Guinea Fisheries Officials Train South Pacific Islanders

23 June 2005

"Many of the trainees have commented that the programme is an eye-opener and the first of its kind," says Peter Piawu.

Three master trainers from Papua New Guinea, who had completed a Master Trainers course on small and medium enterprise (SME) development for coastal fisheries, funded by the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation, are putting their skills into practice. They are conducting a course for trainers on coastal fisheries in Port Vila, Vanuatu, from 13 to 29 June 2005 titled 'Start and Improve Your Fisheries Business' (SIYFB).

Peter Piawu and Fred Waluka of the Small Business Development Corporation and Brenda Sainol of the National Fisheries College were the first batch of master trainers to instruct fisheries officials in this training course for 15 participants at the Vanuatu Maritime College. The participants are from Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

Mr Piawu said: "Many of the trainees have commented that the programme is an eye-opener and the first of its kind, and they want to learn as much as possible so that they can use the knowledge to address the needs of their target groups/clients in their respective countries."

Mr Waluka stated: "We hope that the participants can benefit from this programme and pass on the knowledge gained through the sharing of ideas and experiences in this workshop. I am glad I am able to play a role in contributing to this knowledge and skills transfer."

Ms Sainol said: "Being a master trainer has helped me gain confidence in public speaking. It is making a breakthrough for gender development in Papua New Guinea. It is good that this SIYFB programme is transferred to other Pacific countries, which proves that the Pacific people's culture of caring and sharing is strong."

Semisi Fakahau, an Adviser in the Governance and Institutional Development Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat, who oversees the workshop, commented: "The extension of master trainers' services to other nations signifies the success of the Papua New Guinea project in developing national and institutional capacity to strengthen SME competitiveness in the fisheries sector of Pacific Island countries."

He said the master trainers from Papua New Guinea will be responsible for the delivery of the Training of Trainers programme and two training courses under the SIYFB training programme, namely Start Your Fisheries Business and Improve Your Fisheries Business, in other Pacific Island states. Both these programmes were developed under the Commonwealth Secretariat coastal fisheries SME development project since 2000. The Commonwealth Secretariat has been collaborating with the Fisheries Training Unit of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, the leading regional organisation on the management of Pacific coastal fisheries.

Tibawi Longai, SIYFB Programme Manager, stated: "We are encouraged by the broad range of organisations represented in this programme, which indicates that such a programme is not only needed by the fisheries development agencies but other business development agencies as well. We anticipate that the programme will play a significant role in strengthening the competitiveness of the coastal fisheries business in the region."

 

CNIS - the Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 240, 22 June 2005