MSG countries

“Sea cucumber remain one of the oldest marine fisheries commodity some 200 plus years old yet many buyers, processors, exporter continue to charge poor prices to Pacific Island producers for their produces,” said a recent media release from the Fisheries Department.

The new buying price sets the ‘white teatfish’ as the most expensive species with a minimum price of Vt3,200 per kilo for a wet (raw) product and Vt8,000 per kilo for a dry (processed) product.

The minimum price is Vt100 for a wet product of Lollyfish. A processed product of the species is Vt1000.

General Manager Dominic Kaumu revealed this yesterday after its first commercial flight to Bauerfield International Airport in Vanuatu, Port Vila.

He said the inaugural flight will include very important people including Prime Minister Peter O'Neill and other government ministers and officers.

Kaumu said the commercial flight today signifies a strong relationship Papua New Guinea has with the other Melanesian Spearhead Group countries.

So far Air Niugini is servicing three MSG countries.

These are Solomon Island, Fiji and now Vanuatu.