from Japan

Te Tautai: A gift to Tuvalu

A 173-tonne fishing vessel Te Tautai has been handed over to Tuvalu as a gift from the Japanese Government. Te Tautai (‘Master Fisherman’) is a fisheries training vessel valued at SUSI. 6 million which was designed and built especially for the training of Tuvalu fishermen.

The vessel will operate in itially under a management

contract to the Ika Corporation of Fiji and will fish as part of the Ika fleet. On board are four Japanese experts, 22 Tuvaluans and four Fijians.

At the official handing-over ceremony, Tuvalu’s Prime Min ister Dr Tomasi Puapua said that Tuvalu’s economic future should be based on its marine resources and that he had every confidence that Te Tautai would have a bright future.

Representing Japan was Mr Tekaiama from the Japanese

Embassy in Fiji, Mr Morita from Taiyo Fishing Company, the consultants, and Mr lisaku from the shipbuilders, lisaku Shipping Company.

The vessel is capable of both long-line tuna fishing and pole and line skipjack fishing, and both methods will be taught by the Japanese experts on board.

Peter McQuarrie on

Funafuti.

Funafuti welcomes Te Tautai.

The top picture shows the ship’s unusual bows Peter

McQuarrie pictures.

Panelex into

the Pacific

A determined push into Pacific Islands markets is being made by the distributors of a newly developed Australian material for use in the construction of coldstores and prefabricated houses.

Known as Panelex stressed skin insulated panels, the ma terial consists of a polystyrene core with steel laminates, and is said to be particularly effective in withstanding, without de terioration, the contraction and expansion caused by tempera ture variations.

The distributors, Jarwil In ternational Pty Ltd of Sydney, say the material has been suc cessful in competition with the products of a number of North American and European com panies.

Rendova

bought

The Solomon Islands Western Provincial Assembly has agreed to buy for $S 193 000 the Rendova Harbour plantation which covers 666 hectares in the northwest of Rendova main island and three smaller islands.

The owner is Commander Scott Elliot, who took over from Lever Brothers after World War 11. He ran the plantation more as a social experiment than a commercial venture, building a school and church, providing playing fields and, for plantation workers, pay scales based on service, a beer canteen and paid holidays.

The province is hoping to transfer ownership and manage ment to one of two tribal groups, either the Vurugare Association or the Ughele and Moka Development Associ ation. The groups have been in dispute over which owns the land, and the matter will prob ably be settled in the courts.

Seminar on sea

trading in PNG

A seminar will be held in Port Moresby in August on the subject, Maritime Commerce in Developing Countries.

The seminar is organised by the Sydney Maritime Pvt Col lege, and sponsored by the

Papua New Guinea Depart ment of Transport: Maritime Division and Harbours Board.

Further information can be had by telephoning Captain Dick Gandy, the college princi pal, on Sydney (02) 981-1318.

New soft drink

plant for Santo

Vanuatu Beverage Ltd, of Port- Vila, has bought the French owned Oninum Conserves fac tory on Santo and formed a new company, Vanuatu Food Processors, which will reopen the factory in August and produce juice drinks, cordials, bleach and detergents with a new Vanuatu Beverage label.

Civil aviation

plan for Forum

The South Pacific Civil Avi ation Council has decided to come up with a plan for long term civil aviation needs in the region. The plan will be put before the next meeting of the South Pacific Forum in Rotorua, New Zealand.