In land fish Project for Kandep

as reported by Patrick Talu of The National

A PROPOSED pilot aqua culture project in Kandep, Enga province, is projected to generate K4.9 million in income, at the same time supplying the entire country with abundant fresh water fish stock for propagation.


The project, however, has remained insufficiently-funded and could not take off.

Last year, the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) provided a seed fund of K100,000 under its project development after seeing its potential as a livelihood project.

However, other government departments and donor agencies to whom the fish project proposals have been submitted are yet to chip in to enable the project to start.

Project manager Benny Tapol Kelly said Kandep was one such district that had more than 20 largest lakes and four biggest rivers that had the potential and capacity to stock and breed big volume of fresh water fish.

Kelly said four pontoons, or 80 cages, will accommodate well over 240,000 fish at a time.

“The fish will be harvested twice a year and therefore, a total of 480,000 fish will be produced in one year.

Kelly told The National yesterday: “The fresh fish would be of high quality and with reasonable price tag.

“The fully-grown plate-size fish will be sold at local market.

“We have already identified markets such as the Porgera mine, Oil Search Ltd, current LNG project and other large businesses mainly in the Highlands,” Kelly said.

Double classroom for Marara community school

By JOHNNY POIYA
of post courier

Mendi MP Pastor Isaac Joseph and Kandep MP Don Polye have a common interest in “killing two birds with one stone”.

The two MPs who share electoral boundaries have a common deterrent to development and delivery of services – tribal fighting over the years in the remote border areas.

While Mr Polye has dramatically changed Kandep from a backwater state into one of the most developed electorates in terms of infrastructure development, Pr Joseph has slowly changed the whole of Mendi by taking risks in funding and installing vital infrastructural services in some of the most notorious fighting zones in the whole of Southern Highlands Province.

Most of the schools, aid posts and other vital government installations between Kandep and Mendi were destroyed in tribal fights among the remote tribes 10 to 15 years ago. The two MPs have not only taken steps in reviving those run down facilities but have risked millions of kina in establishing new facilities like classrooms, health centres and other developments.

MP Joseph on the weekend opened a double classroom at the Marara Primary School. This was the first classroom to have been built after 15 years. Due to its remoteness, being on the border of Kandep and Mendi, it has seen no government services since Independence.

To celebrate this government service, people and singsing groups came from as far as Kandep, Magarima and Mendi. The classroom was constructed at a cost of K150,000.

Comments
Thanks to the hon MP for visiting the rural area and providing funding for the classroom. He has also promised more double classroom.