Fisheries are an important source of sustenance for many communities in Papua New Guinea, as well as a source of exports and other economic benefits. The country has inland freshwater, coastal, and offshore fisheries, as well as an aquaculture sector. A large proportion of the population uses these for subsistence fishing, with fish forming an important components of diets even in the inland Highlands Region. Subsistence coastal fishing catches a wide variety of fish and invertebrates, reflecting the high biodiversity of the country's waters. Inland subsistence fisheries have traditionally focused on eels, although introduced species are now also caught.

The commercial fishing industry has developed over time, with notable industries including tuna capture and processing and a shrimp fishery. The tuna industry includes both foreign and domestic vessels, with some catches processed locally and some exported. Access fees for foreign tuna fishing vessels provide over 1% of the national budget. The shrimp fishery is locally owned and operated, with most trawling taking place in the Gulf of Papua. Coastal commercial fishing mostly produces dried products, with attempts to create chilled or frozen coastal industries unsuccessful. The country has some aquaculture, often carried out in small-scale settings where it complements other food sources. Most fisheries are thought to be harvested sustainably.

The management of fisheries is the responsibility of the National Fisheries Authority (NFA). This body has created a number of management plans that seek to ensure fisheries are used sustainably. The government has sought to bolster the fishing sector over time, including by having more catch processed domestically. While the NFA regulates commercial fisheries, it does not regulate subsistence fishing. Coastal communities have traditional ownership of reefs and seabed, and may reject external management. Internationally, Papua New Guinea is part of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission and the Nauru Agreement. The Torres Strait Treaty governs shared management of the Torres Strait with Australia.

Resources

The total fisheries area within Papua New Guinean waters is . This is the largest single fisheries area in the South Pacific. The country's exclusive economic zone covers , extending from a coastline. The continental shelf covers around . Its waters border those of Australia, Indonesia, Palau, and the Solomon Islands.

Broadly, fisheries can be divided into freshwater, coastal, offshore, and aquaculture. The coastal fishery can be further divided into subsistence and commercial, while the offshore fishery can be divided between local and foreign operations. Specific fisheries include river fisheries, coastal sea cucumber harvesting, coral reef fisheries, a shrimp fishery, and a tuna fishery. The shrimp fishery (usually trawling) and some of the tuna fishery (usually using longline fishing) is domestic, while deep-sea purse seine fishing is undertaken by international fleets.

Small-scale fishing takes various forms across the highly diverse landscape, using handlines, spears, and nets. Such fishing is common in coastal reefs, and in large freshwater rivers. Invertebrate harvesting, including of lobsters and sea cucumbers, may be more common than fin fishing. Most coastal fishing is subsistence fishing, and some of the remainder is for local sale. Fishing often requires extensive local knowledge, despite using simple gear. Locally produced fish that is not eaten shortly after being caught is salted or dried. Inland fisheries are crucial for the large proportion of the population without access to the sea. Traditionally, eels are fished from rivers, although foreign species have been introduced into rivers and are now caught. Some estimates find that half of those living in the Highlands Region engage in some form of freshwater subsistence fishing.

The most common tuna catches are albacore and yellowfin tuna, with smaller catches of skipjack tuna and bigeye tuna. The shrimp fishery mostly catches banana prawn and giant tiger prawn. Coastal fishery catch is highly varied, reflecting the significant biodiversity of these waters. Some species, including some mullet, are found both in rivers and the ocean. Coastal fishing can be divided into demersal fishing, nearshore pelagic fishing, invertebrate gleaning, and invertebrate collection for export. Nearshore pelagic fish include wahoo, mackerel, rainbow runner, and mahi-mahi, as well as tuna. Coral reef fish known to be hunted include wrasse, groupers, emperor fish, bream, sea perch and fusiliers, parrotfish, sweetlips, butterflybream and monocle bream, squirrelfish, drummers, moray eels, triggerfish, rabbitfish, surgeonfish and unicornfish, and goatfish. Fish species that swim above coral reefs include trevallies, mullet, and barracuda. Invertebrates include sea cucumbers, lobsters, trochus, giant clams, crabs, octopuses, and green snails. Seaweed is harvested during subsistence fishing.

Aquaculture, freshwater fishing, and coastal fishing are not consistently tracked by the government. Estimated outputs substantially vary. It is thought that there is some coastal overfishing near urban areas. Recreational fishing is mostly limited to urban areas, and focuses on oceanic fish like tuna. There is some riverine fishing of Lutjanus goldiei. Fish aggregating devices can be used for recreational fishing, as well as subsistence fishing.

Industry

The waters of Papua New Guinea produce 14% of global tuna, worth between US$99 million to US$114 million per year. There is a small domestic tuna canning industry. The four tuna species caught are albacore, skipjack tuna, yellowfin tuna, and bigeye tuna. The populations in Papua New Guinean waters are part of the wider western and central Pacific tuna population. Longliners also sometimes catch black marlin, blue marlin, striped marlin, swordfish, blue sharks, silky sharks, mako sharks, thresher sharks, among other species. Access fees paid to the government by foreign tuna fishers totaled US$44 million in 2013 and US$85 million in 2014, meaning they provided 1.7% of all government revenue in 2014.

In 2016, tuna made up 94% of the 309,000 metric tonnes produced by capture fisheries, including tuna caught by both longline and purse seine fishing. Longliners fish only within Papua New Guinean waters, while purse seiners spend a minority of their time outside of these waters. There is a small amount of offshore handline fishing as well. Inland fisheries produced an estimated 13,500 tonnes. Aquaculture produced 2,200 tonnes, mostly pond-grown tilapia and common carp. As of 1990, around 10,400 people were thought to work in marine capture fisheries. As of 2010, the fishing fleet was around 620 vessels. As of 2016, there were 53 purse seiners and 20 longliners. Fisheries exports totalled 168,874 tonnes in 2022. Exports of tuna to the European Union (EU) are duty free. Following the change to duty-free status, almost all processed tuna is now shipped to the EU, whereas before most was shipped to the United States. Overall fishery exports are about US$255 million per year, most of which is tuna. In 2016, imports were worth US$46.5 million (that year exports were US$197 million). In 2014, the sector as a whole was worth US$16.85 billion, or 1.7% of GDP.

Shrimp trawling generally takes place off the southern coast, especially within the Gulf of Papua. As of 2012, the Gulf of Papua prawn fishery was fished by seven domestic companies with a total of 15 ships. There is also a Panulirus ornatus lobster fishery in the Torres Strait. While coastal fishing is mostly for subsistence or local sale, exceptions are sea cucumbers, lobsters, and Trochus, which are harvested for export. Coastal fisheries have generally produced dried products. There have been multiple attempts to generate chilled or frozen food industries, but they have never proved economical. A small amount goes to the live fish trade.

Longline tuna fishing ships and shrimp trawlers generally offload their catch in Port Moresby, from where export is relatively simple. The offloading of smaller-scale fishing is often local, and foreign ships tend to export via transshipment or by sailing to foreign ports. The highest quality tuna is usually shipped to Japan. Canneries in Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, American Samoa, and parts of Asia receive lower grade tuna. Domestic processing usually occurs in Lae, Madang, and Wewak, which are closer to tuna fisheries than Port Moresby. Tuna-processing facilities are owned by Malaysian, Philippine, Taiwanese, Thai, and local companies and institutions. Domestic tuna facilities are often foreign-owned. However, many tuna and shrimp fishing boats are owned and operated by locals.

While most inland fishing is for sustenance, small amounts of barramundi and bass have been caught commercially in southern rivers, and some riverine prawns are harvested. The barramundi fishery began in Western Province in the late 1960s, but declined in the 1990s. A management plan is in place to ensure the stock recovers. Imported species introduced into rivers include tilapia, Java barb, and rainbow trout. Estimating total catch is tricky, although one 2014 estimate put it at 20,000 tonnes worth US$38 million. The lobster fishery in Daru, Western Province has licensed boats and dedicated freezer boats.

There is some aquaculture, with fish ponds sometimes used to supplement crops and other farm animals. The first aquaculture promotion occurred in 1954. The Highlands Aquaculture Development Centre, located in Aiyura, Eastern Highlands Province, distributes common carp to farmers. Private suppliers distribute rainbow trout. The most commonly farmed fish is thought to be tilapia, although estimates of its total production vary. There are some crocodile farms, and efforts have also been made to farm seaweed, trout, giant clams, barramundi, milkfish, mullet, mussels, oysters, giant tiger prawns, and pearls. An Inland Aquaculture and Fisheries Strategic Plan has been created, and aquaculture is mentioned in the national Vision 2050 plan.

Impact Fisheries produce an estimated K350 to K400 million per year, although this number is uncertain due to difficulties in valuing subsistence fishing, and fluctuations in the market rate of different fisheries products. This is perhaps 2.7% of GDP. Average domestic consumption is thought to be between per year in 2021, up from in 2013. On average, fish provides 1.7% of caloric intake, although consumption is higher in urban areas than rural ones. The "blood meat" of tuna is popular in domestic markets, where it is called Solomon Blue.

Subsistence fishing is important for rural incomes, where it is used to pay for needs such as school fees. Estimates in 1994 calculated that 30,000 tons were fished at small-scales. The 1990 census recorded that 130,963 families (including 23% of rural households) fished, although 60% just for home consumption. It is thought that at least a quarter of subsistence fishing is carried out by women, and women are often involved in the sale of locally caught fish. As of 2012, the tuna industry was thought to employ 6,700 people, of which 98% were from Papua New Guinea.

Of the tuna populations in the western and central Pacific, only bigeye tuna are considered overfished. Coastal fishing is generally sustainable, although urban areas such as Port Moresby have created localised overfishing.

Management