PRIME Minister Jeremiah Manele last week highlighted the Government for National Unity and Transformation (GNUT’s) commitment to boost Malaita Province’s fisheries sector including the Bina Harbour fish processing plant and port development project.
The Bina Harbour project is estimated to cost approximately US$200 million and the government is currently talking with development partners to source funds for the project.
Another commitment is the government’s seriousness to increase seaweed farming in the Province to cover other regions around the island. Currently, farmers in the Northern region are engaged in seaweed farming.
Manele commended the Malaita Provincial Government for renewing their Bina Harbour MOU early in the year to keep the momentum alive towards the project.
“We believe Bina Harbour Project is a nation-building project, especially for Malaita Province. It will bring major generational benefits to our national economy and social well-being”.
“GNUT will strive to establish a large-scale tuna processing operation at Bina, with the port to become a third shipping hub in the country that will be designed to be climate resilient,” he said.
Landowning tribes with their Trust Boards have registered about 172 hectares of land for the Bina Harbour development.
Ground preparatory work, including Geotech work will start soon while more preparatory work to occur in 2025.
“We are currently talking to potential investors. These are global players in the fisheries sector. If work continues according to our schedule, the Project will be functional in late 2027 or early 2028. Let us work together to achieve this important national project,” Manele said.
On seaweed farming, the GNUT will boost the expansion of seaweed farms around the province.
“From the 150 farms established in the northern region of Malaita, from Manaoba to Ata’a, we want to expand to the western and southern regions of Malaita and to the Malaita Outer Islands,” Manele said.
To show its seriousness and commitment to this venture, the government has allocated $10 million dollars in the supplementary budget for seaweed expansion in the country. The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources will lead the implementation of seaweed expansion activities.
Prime Minister Manele recently secured access for Solomon Islands seaweed to enter the China market.
The Prime Minister further commended the Malaita Provincial Government for allocating land for the construction of a new Malaita Fisheries Office in Auki with funding support of US$2 million from the World Bank through its Pacific Regional Oceans Cape Programme for Economic Resilience, towards the building of the Malaita Fisheries Office which will also house the Bina Harbour Project office.
