21 die in flu and malaria outbreak

By VERONICA FRANCIS   

 

TWENTY-one people have died so far in the recent flu and malaria outbreak in the Salt-Nomane and Karimui area in Chimbu , The National reports. 

It is understood that of the 20, two are children under the age of five from Karimui, 17 are from Bomai and two from the Negabo area.

Karimui-Nomane MP Posi Menai told The National yesterday that 17 health workers from other parts of the province had been deployed to Karimui last week to help contain the outbreak.

He confirmed that a funding of K110,000 had been released for medical supplies and all costs for the health workers.

Menai said Bomai had recorded more deaths because the area was geographically isolated and the health facilities there were rundown, and health workers could not make it on time to contain the outbreak.

“As the member responsible and because of the remoteness of the area I will do my best to keep health workers on the ground and use all available resources to contain the outbreak,” Menai said.

He said at the moment the health workers were doing well, adding they had been given another week to stay in the affected areas.

Menai has made a personal commitment to monitor the situation and make sure everything goes back to normal.

 

 

Australian injured in car-jacking

AN Australian aid adviser in Papua New Guinea has been seriously injured in a violent car-jacking in Port Moresby, The National reports.

A spokesperson for the Australian High Commission confirmed the victim, a man in his 50s, worked for Australia’s aid programme.

“An Australian man had his car stolen in a car-jacking on Thursday evening in Port Moresby,” the spokesman said.

“He sustained serious injuries during the assault.”

The man was discharged from a Port Moresby hospital on Friday and flew to Brisbane for further treatment.

The spokesman would not disclose any more details for privacy reasons but said PNG police were investigating.

AAP also understands that at the weekend another Australian official was involved in an unsuccessful car-jacking by a gang of youths.

The attacks occurred in the same time frame as a fierce tribal fight in Port Moresby that left five men dead with scores more admitted to hospital with knife wounds.

The fight erupted at a popular market on Thursday afternoon but retaliation attacks continued until Sunday.

Chief Superintendent Joseph Tondop called for calm in the wake of the “animalistic and barbaric” clashes that included a beheading and several dismembered bodies.

“Port Moresby is a modern city and I can’t understand why people resort to such barbaric acts,” Tondop said.

“It is very dangerous for such ethnic violence to erupt in Port Moresby.

The clash involved two Highlands ethnic groups, the Taris and the Engans, who have a fierce reputation for such clashes in their home regions that often spill over into the capital hundreds of kilometres away.

The Economist magazine regularly ranks Port Moresby as one of the five worst cities in the world to live in because of violent crime, corruption and the absence of basic infrastructure.

In November last year a young group of Australian volunteers travelling in Madang, on PNG’s northeast coast, were car-jacked, tied up and robbed, with one woman raped. – AAP 

 

Expatriate man believed killed, pregant wife raped

Belgian hubby missing since Jan 27

 

By ZACHERY PER

 

A BELGIAN man is missing, believed murdered, in the remote Nondri area of Gumine, Chimbu, after he and his wife were abducted by a gang of men two weeks ago, The National reports.

The pregnant wife was allegedly raped repeatedly for two days before she was rescued by tribesmen in the area, Chimbu police have reported.

Seven people, including a couple, have been arrested and charged in relation with the incident and yesterday appeared for mention in the Kundiawa District Court.

The National visited Gumine over the weekend and was told by locals that they strongly believed that expatriate Tony Boddin of Belgium had been murdered and buried in the thick jungle of the Bomai area.

Head teacher of Nondri Primary School Michael Sipa told The National  in Gumine in an exclusive interview: “It was reported that one of the gunmen put the gun to his (Boddin’s) neck and fired, killing him instantly.

“We believe that he has been killed.

“Some villagers saw bloodstains on the trousers of some of them when they brought the wife out so it is strongly believed that they must have killed him,” Sipa said.

According to Sipa, the attackers abducted the couple on Jan 12 and tied Boddin to a post inside a house before taking his pregnant wife to a nearby bush where she was raped repeatedly.

The attackers later took the husband into the bush where they could have killed and hid his body.

The wife was rescued by the head teacher and members of other sub-clans Toma and Barama of the Sa tribe.

She was reportedly treated at the Nondiri Health Centre before being taken to Gumine station.

She stayed with Sipa’s family near Gumine station and left for Jiwaka to be with her family before The National arrived in the area.

The woman told Sipa’s family that the next day, the men came to her armed with crowbars, spades and weapons so it was believed that they must have killed the husband.

Chimbu provincial police commander Chief Insp John Kale said police deployed to the area picked up five suspects, including a woman.

He said the thick jungle in the area had complicated their investigations, however, he would send more policemen into Nondri this week.

Boddin was an elderly retired member of the British defence force who later became a volunteer and came to PNG and was working in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville for some time before he went to the highlands.

Sipa said they knew that Boddin went with the Catholic church missionaries to Goroka before going to Chimbu and onto the Jiwaka region where he met his wife who has Manus and Jiwaka parents.

“The expatriate came and stayed with us at Nondri for four months. He remained in Nondri during the Christmas and New Year period,” Sipa said.

The expatriate went to Jiwaka and returned with his wife to Nondri and stayed with the people of the Gorekulame clan of the Sa tribe.

“He (Boddin) promised to help the people write proposals for development projects for the remote Nondri-Amia area,” Sipa said.

Dirima community leader James Wai condemned the action of a minority group of people, saying the people wanted changes and developments.

He said such incidents would scare off people and developments.

Particulars of the other suspects arrested would be made available soon after the completion of police files. The suspects had been remanded at the Kundiawa police cells.

Kale yesterday confirmed that a couple was among those arrested.

No motive for the abduction, rape and possible murder had been established.

 

Potential for aquaculture development in Papua New Guinea

By JAMES LARAKI and DENSLEY TAPAT of NARI
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming refers to the breeding, rearing, and harvesting of plants and animals in all types of water environments, including ponds, rivers, lakes, and the ocean.


Inland fish farmers in Pomio, East New Britain province, visiting a fish pond in Lausus during an aquaculture training conducted by NARI recently

 Similar to agriculture, aquaculture can take place in the natural environment or in a manmade environment.
The farming of fish is the most-common form of aquaculture and involves raising fish in tanks, ponds and other forms of enclosures mostly for food and to generate income.
Fish species raised by fish farms include salmon, big eye tuna, carp, tilapia, catfish and cod.
Aquaculture has become an important source of fish available for human consumption.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, global aquaculture production has grown at 11% a year over the past decade and is projected to continue increasing.
Expansion of this industry globally has been fuelled by the increasing demand for fishery products coupled with declining catches from marine bodies.
As a result aquaculture has become an important economic sector in many countries.
PNG has a huge potential for aquaculture development, particularly for small to medium-scale farmers.
Numerous efforts by the PNG government and FAO in the 1950s could not trigger the aquaculture industry in the country.
The progress has been slow since, either commercially in the private sector or small-scale farming in rural communities.
This is so despite its potential with the availability of large and diverse freshwater as well as marine environments.
PNG is also home to most of the important tropical aquaculture species such as barramundi, freshwater prawns, freshwater crayfish, sea cucumber, tropical sponges and corals, groupers, marine prawns, mud crabs, giant clam and pearl oysters.
The National Fisheries Authority (NFA) through an aquaculture technical coordinating meeting with stakeholders in June 2007 identified limitations associated with aquaculture development in PNG.
It identified the need for the development of suitable feeds, production and distribution of quality fingerlings, networking and collaboration, commercialisation, marketing, health and bio-security issues, and extension support.
A recent assessment of inland pond aquaculture development and research activities by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) indicated the need for the development of effective feeding and pond management strategies.
It noted the growing needs for fingerlings for carp, tilapia and trout.
The potential to culture native species like eels, freshwater prawns, crayfish and catfish was also highlighted.
Through the smallholder livestock development project, the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) is embarking on aquaculture development in PNG through a new initiative supported by the national government with a view of promoting income earning opportunities and as a food source in rural communities.
Under this project NARI is looking at the use of local materials as feed source for pond fish and appropriate feeding practices for available fish species.
It is also looking at mini-hatcherie for fingerling production, pond development and integrating fish with other livestock species such as poultry.
The geneticall- improved farmed tilapia (GIFT) is being used.
Aquaculture work on station has shown to be promising and it is being piloted out in three provinces: Morobe, Western Highlands and Central.
A series of trainings are being conducted for potential fish farmers in these provinces to encourage local participation and promote small-scale village based fish pond operations.
With proper management, small-scale fish farming could easily become a source of income and means of household food security for rural inland communities.
The trainings involve practical demonstrations and information sharing sessions on inland aquaculture planning, pond design and construction, pond management, and on-farm fish feed making using locally-available feed sources.
Participants are being encouraged to share their knowledge with others in their communities.
These trainings will also identify needs and issues faced by farmers in the rural communities. NARI will continue to deliver targeted training and demonstrations on inland aquaculture to encourage and promote aquaculture.
Despite the potential and increasing interest for aquaculture development in PNG, aquaculture research and development has not received much recognition.
Trained manpower and infrastructure for research and development in aquaculture is also limited.
Collaboration between key players of the industry is also lacking.
Efforts by NARI and others in promoting aquaculture research and developments in the country need to be supported.
Collaboration and partnership efforts are required to the develop aquaculture in the country to its full potential.Using appropriate aquaculture techniques and technologies, the aquaculture industry has shown that it can grow, produce, culture, and farm all types of freshwater and marine species.
PNG could do the same if all players play their part in a coordinated manner.
The aquaculture sector, like that of agriculture, has huge untapped potential in farming aquatic organisms.
It provides enormous opportunities to empower rural people with food source and generate income.

Robbery lands one in hospital

Others get away in waiting vehicle


By RIGGO NANGAN


ONE man is in critical condition at the Angau Memorial Hospital after an armed robbery at the Lae Yacht Club on Saturday morning went wrong, The National reports.

Robbery gone wrong ... A man lies injured at the Lae Yacht Club premises after an armed robbery on Saturday morning went wrong. Reports said four men drove into the club premises in a white utility and stole about K14,000 in cash and cheques. On their way out, the robbers were confronted by a security unit when shots were exchanged and a man, who is recovering at the Angau Memorial Hospital, shot. The robbers abandoned the utility and escaped in another waiting vehicle.. – Nationalpic by RIGGO NANGAN

Four armed men drove into the Lae Yacht Club premises through the gate, unsuspected while one of them held up a G4S guard at the guardhouse at gunpoint.
The vehicle they arrived in was believed to be stolen from an electronic goods employee last Wednesday and had another company’s sticker on it.
Three men rushed into the clubhouse and straight for the club office and held up the employees.
They took about K14,000 cash and cheques and were on their way out when a G4S armoured vehicle which was on its routine routine to pick up the money pulled up.
The G4S guard who was held up at the gate said he did not suspect anything because the sticker was of a
vehicle which always supplied food to the club and never checked it when it drove through the gate.
He said when the utility had gone in, one of the suspect walked up to him and pushed the barrel of a pistol into his mouth and pushed him into a room in the guardhouse.
“On hearing a commotion in the club house, the suspect left me and ran to meet his colleagues who were making their getaway after they were disturbed by the armoured vehicle personnel,” the guard said.
He said he quickly locked the gate and ran out to the main road while the gang tried to drive out.
The armoured guards exchanged shots with the gang.
It was then that one of the suspects, identified later by the guard at the gate to be the one who held him up, was shot and seriously wounded.
The armoured vehicle rammed the parked utility to keep it from moving and seeing no way to escape, other members of the gang jumped over the fence and drove away in another vehicle that was waiting on the main street, the Butibam Road.
The injured man was later taken to the hospital by police.
Police had issued warning to the public to take extra precautions when moving around in their vehicles because car thefts were on the rise in the city.

Government admits to rushed gas agreement

By PATRICK TALU

 

THE government has admitted to resource owners and the people of Papua New Guinea that the PNG liquefied natural gas project agreement signing was rushed, The National reports.

Newly appointed minister responsible for all LNG matters relating to outstanding memorandum of agreements (MoA), ministerial commitments, seed capital finds, infrastructure development grants and other outstanding issues, Deputy Prime Minister Sam Abal, made the admittance last Friday to landowners at the Unagi oval in Port Moresby.

“Mipela government i tok sori long rasim PNG LNG agreement mipela i sainim (we, in government, are sorry for the rushed PNG LNG agreement that was signed),” Abal said.

He said there was immense pressure to get the project to first gas within limited time to secure markets against competing LNG projects in the region.

The window of opportunity for PNG’s gas to secure lucrative markets would have closed had PNG taken longer to bring the project on stream.

Abal said due to these pressures, the government had no choice but to conform to the will of the developer and entered into the PNG LNG agreement.

He admitted that the current LNG-related issue between the government, ExxonMobil and the landowners was the direct outcome of that rushed agreement.

The deputy prime minister, who is also minister for works and MP for Wabag, stressed that since the mistake was already made, there was no option but to address the consequences.

Thomas Gamu, the man who had been mobilising LNG project landowners to fight for their rights and benefits, asked Abal how they would be compensated.

“Now that the LNG agreement has been rushed and cheaply sold away, the government must tell us as resource owners, Hela, and the people of PNG how we will be compensated for selling our gas cheaply.

“Our resource has been cheaply and hastily sold off by our government.

“It is a great failure on the part of the government to protect its interest and its sovereignty than serving the interest of foreign-owned companies,” Gamu said.

 

IPBC talks to fund over power woes

THE interminable power disruptions which cost millions of kina in lost business and damaged assets and much inconvenience has forced the Independent Public Business Corporation (IPBC) to enter into negotiations with Nambawan Super Ltd to fund additional power generation capacity for Port Moresby, The National reports.

Minister for Public Enterprises Arthur Somare announced yesterday that the two organisations would sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) which would ensure that adequate funding was available to upgrade the system and to minimise the severity of disruptions that have been occurring especially in Port Moresby and Lae.

Somare said he was saddened by recent events that were partly the result of a number of unfortunate incidents that affected electricity supplies in Port Moresby.

There was a loss of generating capacity at the base load Rouna-2 hydropower station and at Kanudi and subsequent flooding just after Christmas worsened the situation. Debris from the floods clogged the intake gate and screen at Rouna-2. There was also a reported fire at the Kanudi-2 engine.

“We cannot let this situation continue. We must rectify these problems and ensure there is adequate generating capacity for Port Moresby and Lae in particular to have stable electricity supplies. The system also requires adequate spinning capacity to avoid major brownouts whenever significant maintenance work is carried out,” Somare said.

“I am hopeful this will now take place under the supervision of IPBC. The MOU with Nambawan Super Ltd provides assurance that the work that needs to be done will start to move forward immediately and not be hampered by financial considerations.”

The arrangement, when signed, will be a big relief for PNG Power which announced last week that power interruptions might continue to 2014 because of lack of funding to attend to urgent maintenance and upgrading work.

Somare said he was also hopeful that electricity supply problems, which have affected Lae and the Highlands grid, would also be resolved this year with completion of work on refurbishment of the Ramu hydro station.

This will be supplemented by backup diesel generating capacity at Taraka (12 MW), Madang (13 MW) and at Goroka (4 MW).